The Deathly Sky Arcobaleno
by Green Priestess
Summary: When Ichigo lost her powers after the Winter War, a man wearing an Iron Mask to approach her with an offer. He taught her how her power works, in return that she does some jobs for him along with six others. Agreeing as it can help her and her siblings' schooling for their College Money. However, Ichigo never dreamed that she and her new friends are in for a big catch nobody wants.
1. Chapter 1

The Man in the Iron Mask

 _It was a 16 months after the Winter War._

 _Life was peaceful since then._

 _Her other school friends also know she has powers, but lost it after giving it all she's got, making her a normal human again. Tatsuki, Chizuru, Keigo and Mizuiro believed Chad and 'hime easily. They would because Aizen nearly killed them!_

 _They had it normal since, ending their freshman and sophomore year respectively._

 _Well, because Ichigo lost her powers, it was Uryu and the Shinigami she can no longer see who deals with Hollows, and kept the badge as a memento of what she had been through. And another memento was her combat skills which she keeps in top form sparring with Yoruichi. And since the day she lost her powers, Karin got stronger. Her father says she was a living, natural seal over her sister so she's 'not attractive' to Hollows therefore Karin had been safe._

 _A month before her third year high school however, it seems fate wants to screw with her again._

 _On the way home from school, a man in a white suit with a strong, cleft chin wearing an Iron Mask came to see her._

 _'Kurosaki Ichigo-san?'_

 _'Yeah, that's me...' said Ichigo warily. 'Wassup?'_

 _'I am here to look for good, talented people.' he said. 'I have jobs only they can do, and I can promise that the rewards are great.'_

 _'How great?'_

 _'Enough to buy yourself a big land for a fully-furnished estate the size of two Japanese schools combined for an example.' Ichigo choked at that and gawked at him._

 _'What kinda jobs are those?!' her eyes popped out._

 _'You'll be doing them in Italy. There's no jobs here in Japan for what I have in mind.'_

 _'...I got college funds to consider and shit...fine, as soon as I get my dad's approval, I'm goin'. I can't just disappear y'know! See ya tomorrow pops!' and she ran off._

 _xxx_

 _'What? You accepted a job offer from a foreigner?' Isshin gawked at his daughter._

 _'Yeah.' said Ichigo. 'The money is enough to send all three of us to college ten times over. The offer is too good to be true but incase the bastard is shady, I can always cave his skull in.' Ichigo grinned. 'I may have lost my powers but I still got the combat skills and strength of a Captain-Class. I'll be alright.'_

 _'But you might miss your final year in school...' Isshin frowned worriedly._

 _'I'll deal with it. As long as I bring home our college funds if this guy is the real deal, I could care less about a missed year or two.'_

 _'Oneechan I'm not too sure about this...' Yuzu frowned worriedly. 'Its Italy. Another country. Anything can and will happen.'_

 _'Yeah, your luck sucks too.' Karin agreed causing Ichigo to choke on her Ebi Fry._

 _'I'm not too sure either but nothing ventured, nothing gained. I learned that the nasty way too whether I liked it or not.' Ichigo snorted. 'If all goes well, I can send money home and even start our own business with the money as capital.'_

 _Fateful words._

 _Since Ichigo was powerful, Isshin consented as long as she take proper precautions. No edibles from strangers, always avoid alleys at night and such._

 _So she went to the riverbank that same day after dinner._

 _'Well?'_

 _'The fuck, did you like, stand until dark?' Ichigo asked incredulously. 'That's one incredible endurance.'_

 _'Why, I'm still young.' the masked man smiled. 'So what did your family say?'_

 _'They agree but any funny business I'm free to cave your head in.'_

 _The man snorted._

 _'Shall we leave for Italy, Kurosaki-san? By the way, wear this.' he said, taking out a ring. 'This will enable you to speak, read, write and understand italian, and learn what you see, say and hear as if translated into English and Japanese so its like learning and being fluent in two foreign languages at once.'_

 _'OOOK? I'm no stranger to stuff like this either but hey, ya gotta sword too? I'm a swordswoman and you can deduct the expenses from my reward share but it better be a good one. Like, good enough to withstand machine gun abuse.'_

 _'Oh, that can be arranged. I shall meet you here tomorrow after breakfast for our 10 am flight. The airport we'll go to is in another city.'_

xxx

In Italy a day later...she was told to stay in a hotel for now until the last guy comes. She would be notified of his arrival to their meeting spot. Until then, she's free to do as she wished, given an italian cell phone but she really wonders what they were going to do.

When she met them, it was an interesting crew.

She was also the youngest of them all.

They were adults who are in their early twenties and she, still a high schooler. A very shapely high schooler wearing a form-fitting casual-fancy white cropped top with 3/4 sleeves, form-fitting jeans, brown and white sneakers and accessories her kind of personality would wear. She also wore her hair long in a spiky mullet. She also has a permanent stern-scowl expression on her face.

'A high schooler?!' yelped Lal Mirch, Fon and Skull, wide-eyed and eyebrows raising. Even better, the teenager was a ridiculously-powerful Sky enough to power a whole city by herself for a week before tiring as that was how strong she was.

'Yeah, I'm still in high school when that masked guy said he wants me for a job.' said Ichigo, scratching her head. 'But since the money is worth it for college fees, I took the offer.'

They also noted her swords on her sword-belt. It was a Japanese katana and wakizashi.

'...name?' the cloaked guy asked her.

'Ichigo Kurosaki.' said Ichigo. 'My school puts student database in computers now so that should be easy to know I really am just a high schooler right? I don't get why that guy wants me to work with adults who obviously won't take me seriously so I suppose its just bare-minimum cooperation then. Met guys like that kinda personality before anyway.'

'Then Ichigo, I should tell you that you unwittingly are made to work with Freelancers who occasionally take jobs for the mafia.' Fon told the teenager who choked in shock. 'He gave you live blades clearly expecting you to kill your enemies.'

"Been there done that." Ichigo thought wryly, thinking of the Arrancar and the Bount, then Aizen. So what if they're Shinigami? They were dead humans once so she felt killing them was no different from killing humans to protect two worlds.

'For now, I wish to test your ability to defend yourself.' said Fon. 'With our fists.'

Ichigo is a Sky. An insanely powerful one. Losing her to jobs would be of a great loss and it'll be difficult to harmonize her with _anybody_.

Skies gain Guardians whose flame strength matches theirs in order to achieve Harmony while filling the voids of the Sky in question. This kind is common among mafia match-ups for politics and business sakes thus relationship is rocky and takes years to truly solidify. But as this is a bond with no loyalty in it, betrayals happen and Discords happen. Skies who bonded with Guardians out of trust, most likely having met them as friends and such outside of family gain solid harmony faster, and their bonds so strong built and made of trust with ideal healthy relationships between the seven elements. An elemental family like this is as rare as a 10 karat diamond in a 50-meter olympic pool of tar and sludge. And for Ichigo to have Guardians, such relationships must be made.

'...OK.' said Ichigo as Fon got off his seat and the two got into fighting stance...

By the way Ichigo handled herself alone, it was obvious to everyone that she was on the same class as Fon. Despite her fighting stance, she has _zero openings_. Same for Fon who also has no openings.

"This won't be easy." both thought.

In an instant, the two lunged at each other, parrying elbows...then its high-speed blockings and parryings of their fists, elbows, knees and feet of master-class skills.

Fon was the best martial artist in the world, a genius who mastered 108 styles of martial arts and strong and fast enough to catch a bullet with his bare hands and yet, this teenager can spar with him just fine!

'Are you really a high schooler?! Who is your mentor?' Fon gasped out as this child, is as strong as he is. She already mastered Karate to such high class. And for a young girl, her physical strength is that of the same level as he. Her strength wasn't that of a female conditioned to their peak top form.

'She doesn't exist in any records in the world.' Ichigo smirked. 'There's no point nor sense in looking for a person whose personality is that of a stray cat. She's who-knows-where after I graduated from apprenticeship.'

And that was too true!

Yoruichi's in Soul Society, having joined the SWA and annoying the hell out of Byakuya most likely.

'Shame, I would have liked to meet her.' Fon smiled. 'Its rare to meet someone capable of an upbringing of such caliber too.' and they stopped.

'Still have any doubts?'

'None.'

Needless to say, Ichigo proved herself to be the strongest Sky in the world, a Master of Karate, immensely powerful flames that every mafioso in the city they were in can't find this mystery person whose presence was felt EVERYWHERE yet nobody can find this person!

Reborn who was the last to come, was surprised that there's a teenager among them yet he haven't heard of her either.

She was an extremely powerful, and anonymous Sky who's a freaking civilian STILL in high school in her native country yet got roped in by Checkerface.

She took the offer simply because College is expensive and hardly any people visit her family's clinic and she still wonders to this day how the hell does her father manage to pay for everything and last she checked, he doesn't have other jobs.

So they took the jobs.

First it was solo jobs. Ichigo had considerable trouble as she wasn't an experienced freelancer so she used her civilian demeanor to her advantage in regards to location and upon getting there, she can do her jobs.

Well, she decided never to tell her family and friends what her jobs were. They'd never approve.

She doesn't either but she'll do what she has to do.

The first job was huge. The reward was staggering.

'OK, I'm not sure what the hell do I do with this...I'm pretty sure I can pay for both the twins' schooling by myself now...' Ichigo shook at the reward that appeared at the foot of her bed. 'But how do I explain this back home? Nobody earns millions in a single job alone! I'll get the inquisition for sure and its not like I can answer it...ohhh fuck me sideways! How do I send this home now?'

Well, she mailed the others that she'll go home to Japan and somehow sneak into her house to hide it in before flying back to Italy...that's if she can get past her dad...

Meanwhile...

'Its been a while and school started yet Ichigo-chan's not going to come anymore.' Orihime moped. 'Did she really stop school for a job?' she asked as the group gathered on the roof.

'All I heard from ol' pops is that Ichigo got a job offer from a foreigner and she took it.' said Tatsuki. 'But not even Ichigo knows what the job was. But since if anything shady goes on, she can easily cave their skull in.'

'I'll say, I don't have to worry either.' said Uryu. 'She may have lost her powers, but it does not change the fact that her fighting abilities are Shinigami Captain-Class. Like hell she'd lose to common thugs or something's wrong with this world.' he snorted.

'Y-yeah, that should be true.' said Keigo nervously.

xxx

Kurosaki Family Clinic...

Ichigo saw her father treating a patient so she snuck into the backyard and used her newfound powers to get a little 'leg-up'. Shinuki no Honoo aren't spiritual in nature, she wouldn't be sensed.

Upon sneaking a letter to her dad's room, she put the money on his bed which was still in a suitcase before leaving back out with enough money to fly away just as quick by planning flight schedules really well.

* * *

Shinigami Illustrated Picture Book: Part I

Isshin was treating a kid with cavity problems that needed appropriate treatment when he sensed a new power in his house heading for his bedroom.

Upon getting paid for his work, he went upstairs to see a suitcase and a letter on top of it from Ichigo.

Pops,

My job got me a new power to survive my job.  
Its called Shinuki no Honoo and there are only  
seven types and I happen to have the rarest  
Sky-Type. I can't say any more than that or I'll  
get in trouble with the lawmakers who has the  
ability to appear ANYWHERE as I was told these  
guys have hyper spidey-senses on those who  
broke Secrecy Laws and drag them to prison where  
the only sentence, is Life or Death Row.

I work as a Freelancer with a team and the rewards  
are great. My first job landed me that case I left on  
your bed. Even better, it'll get bigger the harder it is.  
But this client is such a weirdo willing to shell out this  
much I can't help but feel there's a catch to a good  
deal...I'm worried too.

I asked a colleague to make me a test tube container  
that can contain a sample of my powers for ol' hat  
n' clogs to study. Warning: removing the cork will  
cause my flames to disappear, so he has to use other  
means to extract and study. I won't be back until  
the job is over. There's more jobs coming, so spoil  
the girls.

-Ichigo

P.S- nobody raised a stink about my absence, right?

'Well, I better go see Urahara about the sample she left behind.' Isshin mused as he opened the case to see loads of Euros, not a single yen so he'll have to see a money changer for this. And there's the tube containing beautiful, yellow-orange flames. 'Really, what have you gotten into indeed...'


	2. Italy

Italy

In Italy...

Its a beautiful country with architecture to match. But the slums have it distinctively designed that says 'nothing good is going on around here so leave'.

The beautiful places were for the well-off, wealthy and tourists.

Yet its weird that nobody notices her swords at all when normally, its illegal to carry weapons in public, unless you've got a license.

Not to mention its required that they all live together to boot, they can't separate.

Reborn wasn't too happy that she left by herself to bring home the bacon as she is a Sky therefore she canNOT be left alone, as unsavory famiglias will do anything to snag her and with her, Guardians she may have even if she doesn't have any at the moment. That, or marry her to their sons by Blackmail in order to have powerful Sky heirs. As much as she hates it, she cannot leave alone without someone next time.

Even if she was as powerful as Fon, anything can still happen and even the strongest can have a bad day, they just can't risk it.

So yeah, she got a lot of scolding when she got back.

For now, they're in a log cabin in the woods outside Lucca.

'Heeeey! Wake up you guys! Breakfast!' Ichigo struck the ladle over the frying pan loudly.

The six other housemates came down like zombies.

'Jeez, you lot sure are not morning people aren'tcha?' Ichigo snorted, shamelessly grinning and taking pleasure at their amusing appearances.

'Screw you.' Viper grumbled. 'You're too much of a morning person.' he said as they dragged themselves to sit as Ichigo put food on the table. Its clear soup with diced scallions, onions and bite-sized meatballs, toasted bread made to look like pizza with a sunny-side up on top, then glazed cream dory fillet. The guardians took it upon themselves to do weekly grocery shopping and Ichigo was NOT allowed to go out solo when its her turn to shop for her safety. In fact when its her turn to shop, someone must _always_ come with her.

And they each, have different tastes in food she had to adapt to as the only cook and she makes whatever's in the shopping. Reborn prefers easy-to-eat foods, he doesn't care what as long as its tasty. Viper wants it French. Fon wants it chinese or middle-east food. Verde prefers fast food since he doesn't want a mess in his lab as a scientist. Lal also wants on-the-go meals being a soldier for the Special Forces she had no time for anything troublesome to eat. Skull could care less as long as it 'doesn't look weird/gross'. And Ichigo prefers home-cooked meals so she badgered her teammates for recipe books as she can't serve Japanese all the time and they don't want her going out by herself, making her wish she too, was a Guardian-Class as she felt too caged and she didn't like it.

She's an independent girl who had to put up with this, as Checkerface did NOT tell her how preciously-important Skies are, how Guardians are overprotective of Skies and what most mafia families would do to have a Sky and she wasn't told that, to her teammates' chagrin. All Checkerface did, was teach her about flames and how to use her powers, then put her on the job!

'I gotta be if a Japanese day starts at 6 and I'm the only cook in the house.' Ichigo snorted. 'And you guys are clearly night owls.' she said, making coffee as the last step before she could sit down. Well, people have it different. She can easily tell who'd like what for drinks by looks alone. Reborn, Lal and Verde would like it strong, Fon gave the coffee pot an unhappy look, so she made him tea which he _does_ like. Viper has Rooibos tea since it was clear in his shopping. She and Skull aren't picky with drinks.

For this week, its Yoshoku fare.

They would be on standby as they will be called for their next jobs.

'By the way Ichigo...' said Verde. 'Aside from typical Sky Flame abilities, being a powerful Sky, do you feel anything different?' he asked.

'Different?'

'There are Skies who manifest unusual abilities.' said Reborn. 'Like the Vongola Bloodline with their Hyper-Intuition and the Giglio Nero who can see the future until their deaths.'

'Humm...I thought it was weird.' said Ichigo. 'Checkerface just taught me about Sky Flames and none of what you guys told me. However...wait, its hard to explain. Let me just show it. Reborn, can you make a fireball for me with yours?' she asked Reborn.

'Hn.' Reborn made a Sun Fireball in his hand, and suddenly, the flame went to Ichigo and she could shape it as she wants.

'Its an accidental discovery when Lal and I sparred the other day with flames...it was accidental but I ended up using that tiny bit of Rain with my flames, and shape them up for my own use.'

'So as long as people emit flames, you can take some and temporarily use it for your own use?'

'Yeah, until the supply's gone. So it depends how much others bring out, I can only take those. If it runs out, that's it.' the others exchanged looks. 'Then when you guys told me about other flame types...what I take somehow gets multiplied by a factor of ten in regards to potency. Even a tiny fireball the size of a marble can already do a lot...'

The fireball she got from Reborn got ridiculously strong. As strong as herself in fact.

'Holy...!' the others gasped out, wide-eyed.

'Intriguing...simply intriguing...' Verde drooled at the research prospects as Ichigo gave the fireball to Reborn.

'What am I supposed to do with this?!' Reborn sputtered as he held his own fireball that got a great increase of purity and potency when Ichigo mixed some of her flames into it.

'Try absorbing it.' he did so...and he wound up becoming as powerful as her, but no Guardian Bond just yet.

'So her ability is Empowerment...' Fon mused thoughtfully. 'She can strengthen anybody with her powers. No unscrupulous bastard must have her no matter what.'

Everyone agreed as Ichigo being taken by shady folks, is a bad, BAAAAAD idea!

'Wooow...so does that mean we'll be as powerful as her if she does it for us?' Skull croaked out.

'I guess?' Ichigo blinked owlishly. 'It came to me instinctively and I'm no good at explaining so I just show things, and then let the smart guys figure it out for me. Other than boosting you guys, I can use my flames as ordinary flame attacks, that's all. I have to really want it if I'm going to boost people.'

'Can you empower me, too?' Viper asked Ichigo. 'I'll pay you well.'

'OK.' Viper took out 50000 euros and paid Ichigo, so Viper made a fireball for her to strengthen as well. The others exchanged looks...and Ichigo wound up making them all as strong as her.

'I feel like I'm floating like a balloon...' Skull croaked out, looking 'quite high'.

'We'll have to adjust so get that dopey look off your face!' Lal barked, bonking him on the head.

'Oww!'

'...we'll have to retrain ourselves before the next job.' said Fon grimly. 'Or we might cause more trouble than we think...'

'I'll say, we have to re-master ourselves.' Reborn agreed.

'Uhm guys? I'm a civilian like Ichigo, I got no clue what to do...' Skull choked out.

'Oh, I'll teach you.' Ichigo offered. 'I got too easily used to being ridiculously strong...' her phone rang. 'Oh, excuse me...' she took out her Japanese phone to see mail...and stared, wide-eyed. 'Uh...'

'Bad news from home?' Lal asked her, concerned.

'My dad somehow got my phone GPS-tracked thanks to a geeky friend of his that he got it done for free so dad's on his way here to our log cabin actually...'

'Whut?' Skull asked, wide-eyed.

'IIICHIIIGOOOO!' Kurosaki Isshin burst in.

Ichigo twitched, taking off her ring. An act they noted.

'What the hell are ya doin' here in Italy, goat-chin?!' Ichigo demanded, her words coming out Japanese. She actually calls her father 'goat-chin', not father or dad. 'What about the twins?!'

'Oh, I took them out for Italian Holiday!' said Isshin, beaming. 'They're in a hotel in the city in a nice suite so they're safe. But anyway, I got you a PSP so you don't get too bored while on standby. And everyone back home says hello!' he said, dumping a carton on her.

'They didn't raise a stink for me not showing up at third year, right?'

'Well, Uryu-kun and Tatsuki did.' Ichigo went white cracked granite. 'So once this is over, prepare for incredible nagging on their part!' Isshin grinned. 'Oh yeah, your other friends say 'hi' too.' he said. 'Although they've gotten super-busy as well.'

'Understandable.'

'Well, I'll go back to the twins now so take care alright?'

'OK.'

'Time to take the kids to the beach!' and Isshin jovially ran off and Ichigo put her ring back on.

'...a normal civilian cannot get up here so easily.' Reborn frowned. 'What is your family?'

'To be honest I didn't know goat-chin can get up here either.' said Ichigo. 'I only knew how since my mentor trained me.'

'And that ring?'

'Checkerface gave it to me until I master Italian. Its a language-aid so we can understand each other.' said Ichigo. 'It also helps me learn the language so I remember words and grammar used until one day I no longer need this ring. He said I'll know when I don't need it any more. The only FL we learn in school is English anyway.'

xxx

That night, Ichigo took apart the carton box to see some letters, and a box for her PSP.

'From 'hime, Tatsuki, Uryu, Chad, Keigo, Mizuiro, Rukia, Renji, even freaking Byakuya of all people, Kenpachi even wrote me a letter and he's not that type of guy but I can tell Yumichika wrote this for him, ah, got a letter from ol' bucket hat too...'

It was the first letter she read.

Ichigo-chan,  
burn this letter after you read it.  
And so are all your other letters  
from Seireitei too by the way.

I studied your new power.  
Sky Flames with the attribute of  
Harmony eh? That one word can  
mean a lot of things, but you can  
also empower other flame-users  
with your flames, so watch out  
for power-greedy people, alright?  
You are constantly in a Bankai  
state too in regards to flame power  
output so you basically will give  
anyone Bankai-Class powers and  
its NOT temporary, its PERMANENT.

However, their strength will depend  
on your level. In short, you make  
them as strong and as pure as your  
class. Seireitei naturally does not  
know...yet. All they know is that you  
went to other country for a job. Let's  
keep this secret for now.

By the way, I'm sure you saw it buried  
under the letters, but I gave you a dagger  
containing Reiryoku to restore your  
powers. Trouble here started. Again.  
And we're dealing with it so Yoruichi and  
I are leading your friends, and Isshin  
took away the kids for their safety as  
they're after you for some reason.  
Leave them to us. Even 'they're' pitching  
in as you did a lot for Seireitei they felt  
they do the work this time.

To use the dagger, stab it into yourself  
and absorb it. It contains Reiryoku from  
me, Yoruichi and your dad. When you  
get back at full power, we need you as  
a precaution.

-Urahara

'...that's worrying.' Ichigo frowned, burning the letter away. She took the dagger and stabbed it into her heart to absorb it and become a Shinigami again. Only this time, her outfit was different.

It was clearly-influenced by her new powers.

Her outfit has a female militaristic dress uniform over a dress shirt. The coat was in orange with yellow piping and accents including buttons over pristine-white trousers tucked into dark orange boots with gloves, her forehead on fire, and her eyes glowing amber. And she could see in 360 degrees its like she even has eyes at the back of her head!

'W-wow...'

 **Wow indeed queenie! How have ya been?!** her Hollow spoke in their Soul World. Her appearance also changed but instead of the yellow-orange on Ichigo, hers was dark orange. Even her hair was dark orange. **I like the new threads! To be honest I always hated that damn baggy-loose shit, I just got no choice since I was born with it already.**

'I dunno how this happened either. Maybe its an effect of a foreign power.' Ichigo mused. 'Where's the old guy?'

'I'm here as well.' Zangetsu showed up, looking very orange. His hair even looks nearly blonde and his brown shades look like transparent red. 'Too bright...'

'Uh...sorry but my new power probably did it.' the two Ichigos sweatdropped.

 **Talk about bad influence ol' pops, yours sucked.** said Hollow bluntly. Zangetsu just scowled. He didn't like bright colors at all.

'Even our zanpakuto changed in looks.' Ichigo mused as the guard, grip and pommel where the Konso Stamp was looked western. 'The hell's goin' on here?'

 **No idea. But it made us better and I like it!** Hollow grinned. Its like havin' eyes all around ya nobody can pull a dirty trick on us anymore by cheap shots!

'I guess but at any rate, I better wear my body again or the others will freak out.' said Ichigo as she wore her body again.

Even in her flesh suit, she retained the ability of 360-degree eyesight.

This'll take some time to get used to...

xxx

Ichigo asked her Guardian colleagues to help her out getting used to the new addition as she moved clumsily when walking in it as she wasn't used to it but when staying still, she's just fine.

Fon, Lal, Viper and Reborn were all for it as without getting used to it, Ichigo's newest condition is a liability.


	3. Notoriety

Notoriety

Having Fon, Reborn, Lal and Verde(who helps through scientific methods) gang on her everyday for helping her adjust to her newest condition was really difficult at first while she verbally coached Skull on what to do for himself. Viper was analyzing the extent of her abilities through his psychic abilities...and he was helping her own mental state and adjusting to mental stress of her troublesome eyesight.

He darkly commented that 'When they say the Sky sees everything, I bet they didn't know there's such a literal case.'

It would have been perfectly OK if its just Empowerment alone but Ichigo's new case sucked and she hated it.

It took two months for her to get a sense of normalcy too. They train her for six hours, and they train themselves after her for the same six hours every day.

Normally, the Arcobaleno wouldn't get along so fast. But dealing with a baby civilian Sky who is basically 'a power generator' who had to be protected lest she be caught by unsavory people as she has no clue how their world works yet, they had to adjust while Ichigo looked after them and made sure everyone got along.

Ichigo whose default expression is a a near-permanent scowl, with eyebrows drawn together, was more than she seemed as her personality showed. She was an open book to them, never knowing that in the mafia its bad to be like an open book as it gets you killed. But they were able to get to know that she's a true Sky even if she was stubborn, short-tempered, strong-willed, and impulsive that if somebody would pick a fight with her, she would clearly fight back. However, she is also sensitive and empathic, as she knows by sense their moods and treats them appropriately. She also hates it if she, a clearly-independent girl is being 'babied' and too-restricted despite her abilities as she was so used to _looking after others_. She also despises liars, especially to people who would even lie to themselves.

She was their only cook as 1.) Japanese schools start teaching students how to cook at Grade 4 and 2.) she took over the chores since her mother died.

She would also nag Verde into not staying up past eleven and often employ Lal's services into knocking him out with her flames just so he can be put to bed as people who get enough sleep function better and are less-cranky to deal with.

When asked about her life, she said that her mother died when she was little to protect her from a killer who Ichigo did not see, something she never forgave herself for because her mother was the center of her family whom they all loved because she was bright, cheerful, warm and doting her loss affected them all horribly that her father became a bumbling dad to cheer up the house, and Ichigo took over the chores as a means to make up for it, and helped raise her younger sisters. She clearly has a severe issue about it she never actually had PTSD counselling about the matter Verde and Lal took her to task. Her father may be a doctor but was a pediatrician not a psychologist and missed the signs as a result.

And thanks to her natural hair color and Japan's misconception about dyed hair=delinquent, she was often discriminated by her teachers and constantly mistaken for a delinquent, and it does NOT help that she gets attacked by delinquents too to sadly reinforce the teacher's beliefs of her, she basically has no respect for adults in turn who treated her unfairly in the first place. Even her friends know that she never calls her teachers the more friendly term 'sensei' and refers to them as 'kyoukan' coldly. And as she has no club activities to look after the house, she also has time to study that she was 18th in her school standing in the Top 50 just to shut them up. The same misconception also isolated her from peers and was friendless until her childhood friend was in the same class as she in high school that through her, she finally had friends. But as a result, she had trouble remembering names and faces from isolation. It took her a month to remember who was who during their time together in the cabin by daily exposure.

That explained Ichigo's treatment of them. At first, she refers to them TOO casually without the respect they were used to with their hard-earned reputations or respect of youngsters to adults. But since she saw that they treated her well and are protective of her, which was shocking for her as other than her dad and her master, no adult treated her kindly it was...refreshing, so her attitude towards them improved and liked them enough that she trusted them with her powers.

They weren't sure _what to say to that_. The Sky and baby of the team, was a troubled teenager. So they treated Ichigo how she liked to be treated. Like a normal girl her age while still letting her have her independence and in turn she now respects them and looks after them.

When the two months ended, they got a new job from Checkerface that required Ichigo infiltrating Mafia Academy to get close to a student...who fully knows what his family was up to because its extremely illegal but can't do squat. So she has to 'seduce him' into confessing everything and the adults will do the rest.

Mafia Academy also dealt with what a whole city had to deal with, baffled with the _awakening_ of a powerful Sky and they can't even tell who it was, even though it happened on the same day Ichigo transferred!

It took Ichigo a whole semester to get it done and in the process, learned Mafia 101 but in her case, she learned what female mafiosi do which was she had to swallow everything and not freak out with good reason. The other Arcobaleno were doing other jobs while she was at school.

Sure she befriended Adrien Estraneo and her colleagues took care of the issue and made Viper make him and the class forget her, but one person never did. That person was Timoteo di Vongola who happened to be absent on that very day and he wondered where the new girl went, only for his classmates to look at him weird.

The next job after that, was a bodyguard job. Ichigo infiltrated as a young maid, and the others were openly bodyguards although she had to leave her swords at home. They were hired to protect an heir from being assassinated by other factions because he was the only rightful one who won't lead their family to ruin.

There were times they were even hired mercenaries to show that they were the strongest elements of their generation.

Ichigo was known as the strongest swordswoman(even if she had no style) and she keeps getting challenges until she became the Unparalleled Sword Empress, Fon was known for his mastery of all Chinese Martial Arts and ability to catch a barrage of bullets between his fingers, a feat Ichigo is also capable of doing, Reborn was the strongest Hitman, Lal was the strongest soldier no man in the military can even win against, Verde was already infamous as Da Vinci's reincarnation, Viper was the world's best illusionist and Skull's stunts got deadlier and deadlier that only he is capable of doing-and surviving-said stunts that no man can ever hope to replicate without dying.

They gained notoriety and infamy, and Ichigo's hollow side greatly enjoyed this kind of life she wished Ichigo would stay in Italy forever instead of boring Karakura.

By then it was already September.

'You know...I once told my dad this in a letter.' Ichigo griped, as they were all enjoying a holiday out by the beach. 'How does Checkerface manage to pay us with this amount of money? How rich is he or who is his backer?' she asked them. 'The rewards are too good to be true when not even mafia dons would pay us this big.'

'I agree. The priciest I could scrounge in my job was 40000 euros and even then that was a stretch.' Viper agreed. 'We get paid millions and even gold bars. Normally I won't complain but...'

'There's something going on here.' Reborn agreed. 'But we don't know what for now so let's be careful.'

'Right.'

Everyone else was silent, not liking what could possibly be the catch, after their good fortune.

A week later, they got a guest that got Lal annoyed by the living room.

'What the hell are you doing here, Colonello?!'

'I wanted to see my favorite Instructor, hey!' came the cheerful answer.

'I'm your ONLY instructor, moron! You're supposed to be under Commander Gaspar while I'm out here remember?!'

'I snuck out!'

'You WHAT?!'

Cue a cacophony of rumble and tumble with Lal scolding/yelling at the newcomer and yelps of pain.

'My my, was that an unwanted suitor I hear?' Fon wondered as he helped Ichigo make English Muffins by kneading the dough while she made Japanese Bread. They were making breakfast breads after dinner for tomorrow's use.

'Teacher-Student romance eh?' Ichigo snorted. 'One-sided too.'

'That never ends well...'

'Well, in legal society yes, but we work for the illegal sort...'

'Hey, not all mafia are into illegal dealings.' Fon sweatdropped. 'The triads I worked for weren't like that.'

'Oh, so there's good mafia too? Mafia Academy gave me a rather bleak view of them.' said Ichigo. 'And don't get me started on what lady mafia had to do.' she shuddered. 'I had to call Viper to rescue me from an unsavory lesson too and pay him 90 grand to get me out of it while seemingly still participating. I'm a believer of letting Mr. Right have 'it'.'

Fon knew what she meant by that and winced horribly.

'I see what you mean. I didn't know that. We chinese triads don't do that unless its political marriages and stuff. A bride's purity is especially most important.'

'Hey, who's that out there? Lal's clearly turning him to ground beef.' Skull asked, fresh from the bath and taking cold milk from the fridge.

'Lal's student Colonello. He went here on AWOL so she's pissed.' Ichigo explained. 'Looks like we'll have a fun guest for now.'

'A fun guest who's definitely gonna walk home in a bag.' Skull muttered.

'Well, going AWOL from a military base, particularly a mafia military base has sanctions for stuff like this, of course Lal is angry.' said Fon. 'But I'm amazed he tracked us out to our out-of-the-way cabin. That took skill as nobody tracked us here for our entire stay and we switch cabins.'

'Now that you mention it...anyhow, can we stop them before Lal really kills the dude?'

'We are not butting in Skull.' Ichigo shuddered. 'I'm not insane to get between _that_. Wait for Hurricane Lal to calm down before we can see if the guy is still fix-able.'

'Right...'

And so...

'Don't worry, he's still alive.' said Reborn wryly as on Ichigo's request, he healed Colonello. 'Lal's a military woman through and through and breaking rules she reinforces through discipline is normal for her. Why're you here anyway?'

'Awww its normal for a student to miss his teacher once in a while right?' Colonello grinned, but he fooled no one, especially when Lal blushed.

'You moron! It's ME who'll Gaspar will bitch at since I pawned you off him for this job!' she yelled. 'Go back now!'

'No way I just got here~' Lal had to be held back by Ichigo and Viper before she jumps on the freshly-healed blonde to beat him again.

'Maa maa Lal, its night already and its dark in the forest.' said Fon. 'Let him leave tomorrow.'

'Grrrr...'

'Well, you owe us 50000 euros for saving your life.' Viper quipped.

'Huuuuh?!' Colonello squawked.

xxx

To Lal's chagrin, Colonello stuck around. Breakfast this time, was Eggs Benedict using the English Muffins baked last night. Except, it has a slab of salmon fillet, a square slice of ham on top of it, poached eggs and poured with hollandaise sauce and a bowl of soup.

'So what do you guys do when not called?' Colonello asked them. These guys sharing the same table are famous worldwide(among the mafia circle) for their reputation as the seven strongest. The youngest of whom being the strongest swordswoman. The. youngest.

'Well, we train to stay in shape dimwit or someone will take away our titles.' Lal grunted.

'So uh... **who's the strongest**?'

Everybody paused.

'Uhhh that's one territory we won't dare step into without becoming an all-out slugfest at the breakfast table Colonello.' said Ichigo flatly. 'Everyone's got their pride here. Its best nobody answers that...'

'Oh, I'm the strongest.' said Reborn smugly, earning him six glares and breakfast time, got chaotic with Viper starting it, but at least they took the fight outside.

'Oh boy.' Ichigo sighed, pinching her nose.

'Holy cow...' Colonello choked as six out of seven rushed out to try to kill Reborn for that remark.

'That question is Pandora's Box. And I'm the only sane man if anyone dares to bring up that topic.' Ichigo grumbled. 'They tend to be very, very immature about it.'

'That's immature?!' Colonello sputtered as he looked at the all-out battle royale outside.

'Well, to answer your question, indeed, nobody can deny that physically-wise, Reborn's our strongest as Skull hasn't finished training yet. In a couple years, Skull will have that title as he should be as a Cloud so for now Reborn's the physically-strongest. In terms of fighting ability, its Fon, me, Reborn, Lal, Skull, Verde and Viper in terms of fists. Never bring up the question again. By the way, what flame-type are you?'

'Er, Rain like Lal. Why?'

Ichigo grinned.

And so...

'No fair!' they all complained as Ichigo empowered Colonello who smothered them with his flames into calming down and temporarily disabled.

'I want you idiots to reflect on this before you have a late breakfast.' Ichigo scolded. 'I had to stop you as if you guys fought any longer we'll have to move to a new cabin!'


	4. Return Home

Return Home

Colonello, against' Lal's wishes, stayed and got chewed out on it at the phone.

Well, they had to adjust as Colonello refuses to leave no matter how many times Lal threatened him.

'He's got guts.' said Skull. 'Lal's the scariest woman I met in my life too.'

'Either that or love makes people dumb.' said Ichigo wryly. 'Loads of cases like that happen.'

'At any rate, he's clearly staying. Troublesome.' said Viper. 'I should charge Rental Fees.'

'That, or he sleeps in the couch as the rooms here are for seven people only.' said Ichigo.

'I don't mind sleeping on the couch!' said Colonello cheerfully.

'That's not the point!' Lal screeched.

Well, Colonello still joined the house as an Empowered Rain and joined them on jobs, even though he doesn't get paid. He simply came along just because he could!

xxx

Meanwhile...

'I got the first few weeks translated for you.' said Ishida Ryuuken, taking out several CDs in front of Isshin and a couple shinigami. He worked on translating with Urahara who changed Italian to Japanese. 'You guys are lucky that she keeps that Shinigami Badge with her as a memento. I understand that you want to check on how she's doing after Kugo Ginjou was literally after her. Looks like none of the Fullbringers knew she went to Italy.'

'I still can't believe she went to another country for a job.' Rukia pouted. 'Why can't she take a job in Japan?'

'Kuchiki-chan let's put it this way,' said Isshin wryly. 'I'd know as Ryuuken and I work here. While the two of us can charge good for our own practices, other jobs, especially if you're in a subordinate-type job, you're expected to work overtime as a good work ethic while your pay sucks. And the poverty line for living in the living world in this country is 270.000 as living here is expensive.' he explained. 'Its not like Seireitei wherein overtime means plus 500 or plus 1000 kan to your monthly Salary so people happily overtime like crazy for extra cash.' he said. 'And University is expensive! While I can easily send the girls to High School, University is another story entirely!'

'What's a University?' Ukitake asked him.

'Its also school, but instead of General Education, you get educated about the career you're interested in, and get training to prepare you for licensure exams, before you can go out to the real world to make a living.' Ryuuken explained. 'For you guys its Shinno Gakuen to make students into Shinigami is such example. But we got more careers than that obviously. This type of school is expensive, especially as it depends on what course you applied for. Medicine, Accounting, Finance, Business, Culinary Arts, Agriculture, Fine Arts, Mass Media, Information Technology, fields of Science, Architecture, Archaeology, Engineering, and many more.'

'By the way, you can only listen to those CDs in the living world as they are linked to Kurosaki-chan.' said Urahara. 'You can't hear them in Seireitei or you'll get static instead. We tried all means to fix it but we couldn't come up with a way to make it work up there. So you guys will be listening at my house with Sotaicho.'

'I guess...'

And so...they listened to Ichigo's days in Italy.

First were her doubted abilities. Then her thoughts about her jobs which shocked them all and she's right that they don't damn approve alright. Then her shock about the reward money before deciding to sneak home to leave the money at home before flying back. Then her days living with six people. Renato Sinclair who goes by codename Reborn, Fon, Skull, Viper, Verde and Lal Mirch. That, and she was the one doing the chores and cooking and given the interaction, she was looking after six adults...and the discovery about her new powers called Sky Flames that got her colleagues worried and overprotective about the team baby and the days were mostly training...and WHY they were overprotective as she, a civilian with no power to back her up, would be easy picking, forced to tie to an organization that snagged her or marry their sons to sire powerful Sky Children considering she's so powerful her existence is literally abnormal.

Then they heard the truth why Ichigo could speak in another language. She had a language aid in the form of a ring given to her by Checkerface. Then a night later, she awakened a new ability that enables her to see 360 degrees, as if she has eyes at the back of her head that horrified her as she was especially clumsy with it, unused to the fact that she could see like this from now on and there was no way to turn it off. She had to train to get used to it, or be a liability in her jobs. At least nobody can pull a fast one on her.

Then when asked about her life...

They all learned more about Soul Society's hero more than they'd like. Ichigo's guilt about her mother's death that stunned them as well as the trauma that came with it, and her school life and dislike of adults who weren't her parents and combat mentors...and Ichigo admitting that she likes her teammates since they treated her like a normal girl and she liked it so she grew to respect them. After her story-telling, Verde and Lal gave her counseling about her issues. Her trauma and that of her discrimination issues.

'...we didn't quite expect that.' said Ryuuken as they finished the first seven CDs.

'How could I have known? I was a beginner doctor at the time!' Isshin choked out, looking haunted and grief-stricken from shock. 'I didn't know anything about PTSD or her getting discriminated in school!'

'...how did her mother die?' Hitsugaya frowned. 'Why blame herself?' its clear she gave a 'doctored' version of the tale, but...

'Ichigo learned the truth two years ago when she met the killer at long last. That was back when I was stationed in Karakura while recovering my powers.' said Rukia softly as her colleagues and superiors looked at her. 'It was Grand Fisher.' she said. 'Ichigo was so pissed when she learned the truth from it and considering his modus operandi it made perfect sense why as a child, Ichigo didn't notice the danger at the time so her mother took the blow for her. She wanted to kill him for revenge but he got away. We never saw him again. She was so angry and inconsolable...but she put on a good front when she went back to her family after leaving the cemetery.'

'Actually, I killed him.' Isshin admitted darkly to her surprise. 'Before the Arrancar started showing up two years ago, he showed up as an Arrancar albeit an imperfect one unlike the ones you guys fought. A failure of Aizen's experiments but the dumbass thought he got great power just because he's got a giant sword.' he scoffed. 'I was able to avenge my wife on that night but it sure didn't do a damn thing to the hole it left in our hearts.'

'Then why didn't you tell her?' Rukia croaked out. 'She knows you're a Shinigami now. She should have known you avenged her mother's death. She'd at least have closure.'

'I wish I could, but she clearly forgot about it when so many things happened, I wasn't about to make her remember again.' said Isshin. 'She probably thinks some other shinigami killed it when you kids never saw him again and probably left the matter like that.'

'Well, here's another thing.' said Ukitake. 'You're not telling her about your real family background?' he asked. 'We were surprised to see you call Ichigo your daughter...that means she and your daughters are actually Shiba Clan members.' he said. 'An unknown noble is actually the one who saved Soul Society.'

'Oh hell no, I left being a noble a long time ago.' Isshin snarked. 'And my daughters will NOT step foot into that kind of world. Ever. And with Ichigo's reputation? There'll be a war on whose family she marries into while pressuring me into giving her to them like some commodity!'

And two months for another seven CDs...and so on...

xxx

By around December...

'It'll be Christmas soon.' Ichigo mused as she washed the dishes after dinner.

'Are you going to go home for Christmas?' Colonello asked her.

'Yeah.' said Ichigo. 'We can afford a once-a-lifetime luxurious Christmas so I'm going home next week.' Ichigo said happily. 'I'll probably be escorted home though but at least I'm safe with family, right?' she said. 'No mafia in my town anyway, it'll be OK!'

'It'll be weird without you though.' said Colonello. 'You're the only cook in the house and I have no idea if the others can cook or simply order _takeout_...'

'...there's that...' Ichigo grimaced. 'Come to think of it, I took over the chores since I never did know if they can cook. Yeah, even a little kid can _clean_ , but cook...?'

So she asked the others who looked like deer caught in the headlights when she asked if they can cook.

'I can't.' said Viper and Verde flatly.

'Well I can make sandwiches and cook canned goods and hot dogs since I can't work anything else...' said Skull.

'I can only cook spicy food since my favorites are anything spicy.' said Fon.

'I even burn water.' Reborn twitched. 'I never tried since.'

'I never touched a kitchen in my life since rations are always provided to us.' said Lal.

'Well, I can leave you guys to Fon and Skull.' said Ichigo in relief. 'But Fon, not everyone is made for the spicy you might have in mind OK? Tone it down to bearable levels.' she told the chinese man who nodded. 'I'll leave 22 so I'll prepare something myself...and can someone help me shopping for Christmas Gifts? I got a lot to do!' she said, taking out a notebook. 'I want to do clothes shopping for my list and what do you think suits everybody?' she asked as she took out photos of her family and friends from the notebook. 'I got their sizes in my notebook but I have no idea of Italian equivalent. All I know is how narrow or wide their feet are.'

'Well...looks like we got a lot to do.' said Reborn. 'I know how to dress a lady by looks and personality type I could see, and I can only dress certain types of men.' he said. 'I know how to dress stylish and bad boy image, but I can't dress jumbo here.' he said, pointing at Chad's picture.

'Oh, I know how to dress him!' Skull offered.

'Are these real?!' Lal choked at Orihime for good reason.

'They're _sadly real_. You don't get _those_ from the operating table without making it look like you shoved a _melon_ under the skin.' said Ichigo wryly. 'There's even jokes if the food she eats goes there instead of typical fat areas.' Lal looked at her own...size...and choked. She didn't notice how the others glanced at her in varying levels of amusement. She was a size C, but shallow. Ichigo has full size Ds but this girl? A full **F**! 'Sooo who'll go with me for the first two people, my sisters?'

'Er, shouldn't we first see the Japanese sizes and determine their italian equivalent before you go out?' Viper pointed out. 'It'll be easier that way.'

'Ah...'

Ichigo was also very prepared regarding delivery.

She called Urahara over for Senkaimon Cheats as given her infamy, she does NOT trust a delivery company from being broken into, and possibly send revenge traps to her family and friends instead of what she shopped for.

'W-wow...these are incredible christmas gifts for your two sisters.' Urahara sweatdropped as in Turin, they met outside the city with two giant carton boxes.

'For reasons I can't say, I can't trust any delivery company.' Ichigo deadpanned as she was accompanied by Verde and Skull when meeting Urahara. 'At least with your help they'll definitely get it.'

'I see...well, they'll certainly get to your sisters.' Urahara beamed with his usual antics with his folding fan as he and Tessai loaded the boxes onto their truck. 'We'll meet you here again same time in two days.'

'Thanks!' and they left.

'Well, we got shopping after this.' said Verde. 'But you sure sent them a full closet.'

'Well, Italian Clothes are definitely stylish.' said Ichigo. 'It makes shopping here loads of fun.'

'Well, don't forget to shop for yours too.' Skull reminded her.

'I'll shop for myself for last!'

xxx

And so...after busy days of shopping and packing...Ichigo was able to finally shop for _herself_. And she knows the types of clothes she likes.

Clothes that are form-fitting, looks trendy on her, and functional.

Upon shopping for her own wardrobe, she was able to focus on pre-preparation of some Christmas Food in advance for the others. She prepared dishes and left behind instructions for Natale, Christmas and San Stefano for the actual cooking before leaving her teammates.

Surely nothing can go wrong, right?

xxx

Japan...Karakura Town...

'I'm home!' Ichigo called out as she entered her house.

'Okaeri Ichi-nee!'

However, the twins did a pause.

'Uhhh?'

'What?' Ichigo blinked.

'Ichi-nee? You look kinda...different.' Karin said, blinking owlishly.

'Ah this?' Ichigo perked up, fully-aware of her changes.

She got taller, her skin is two shades paler, she actually has a manicure and wore make-up(two of which, she was averse to before), and her hair is glossy and silky-looking!

'Well, let's just say I got lessons in femininity 101 whether I liked it or not.' Ichigo sighed. 'Well, I'll be sure to give more people heart-attacks...is it that shocking that I actually wore make-up?' she pouted.

She has her eyebrows in an ideal arch women everywhere would want for less drawing pain on the eyebrows, and simple but wholesome eye make-up, then powder, and coral pink lip gloss.

'Considering its _you_ we're talking about, it is.' the twins deadpanned to her disbelief.

'You guys are so mean!' Ichigo whined in a corner of gloom.

"Can Italy really change Ichi-nee somehow?" Yuzu wondered as her tomboy sister would never ever touch anything too girly and yet...now she looks like a typical teenage girl in a matter of ten months.

'Is goat-chin home?'

'Nope, he went somewhere but would be home on the 24th.' said Karin. 'He left us a full fridge and some money until then.'

'I see...then have you girls eaten?'

'Eh? Not yet...' said Karin.

'Then I'll cook some!' Ichigo piped up. 'I wonder what dad shopped for...'

'But Ichi-nee you just got back!' Karin pointed out, '-what about jet lag and stuff?'

'Maa maa, I slept it off on the plane ride! I feel energetic unlike some noobs who stayed up the whole flight!' Ichigo grinned. 'Time to make dinner!' and she went to the kitchen.

'...Ichi-nee changed a lot.' said Yuzu to her twin sister.

'Yeah.' said Karin with a small smile. 'Maybe Italy was good for her since she hated this town she's always scowling when going out.'

'Un. She hates this town for some reason.' Yuzu agreed.

xxx

Dinner was a very creamy-looking, savory macaroni soup with diced carrots, scallions and button mushrooms. Then a bowl of rice, and Ichigo somehow saw several slabs of expensive A5 beef steaks in the fridge. And as she has experience in cooking steaks with sauce to DIE for thanks to a bunch of picky eaters and her Harmony ability that she uses to match and measure perfectly flavoring goods, and doing what's right in the kitchen, she wound up having another use for Harmony. She of course, studied what the influence of Harmony did, incase this won't work in Seireitei.

Not that she ever told them that.

'ITS GOOOOOD!' the twins moaned in delight.

'I know we started having beef lately but this is too good!' Karin burst out.

'Soreya domo. You get to be that good when you deal with picky eaters in the west.' Ichigo huffed. 'Ridiculously high standards...probably lived a rich jerk before getting a job together with me.' the twins sweatdropped. 'It gets better...I'm the only cook. Fon is out of the question since he likes his food very spicy-hot none of us can stand his cooking even if its delicious and Skull cooks mostly canned goods and processed stuff which is not healthy if eaten 100% of the time.'

'Ah...'

'That one time Fon cooked before I took over...' Ichigo shuddered as in mental flashback, all of them breathed fire with a tortured scream at first bite alone while Fon was happily eating. 'It traumatized me off seeing even a single chili pepper.'

'W-wow...' Karin sweatdropped at her shivering sister who looked utterly traumatized.

'A-anyway, forget that awful memory and let's get eating!'

* * *

Shinigami Illustrated Picture Book Part 2:

'Hyaaa, never thought that tomboy would dress girly-girl, huh, Tessai?' Urahara smiled as they drove away from Ichigo, Skull and Verde and went to their hidden Senkaimon in the countryside to get to Karakura faster. 'Did you get pictures?'

'Of course.' said Tessai, doing a thumbs-up. 'I also released our spy bugs to follow them for video footages to see what daily life is like before being called to a job. We have more trips to cover until the last trip.'

'Well, if we like what we see in the videos, maybe we can trust them with Ichigo.'

* * *

Shinigami Illustrated Picture Book Part 3:

'NO WAAAAAY!'

Came the thunder as Urahara Shoten shook.

'T-this is...?!' Orihime gasped as they all looked at the photo taken of Ichigo and her two colleagues.

'Ichigo! With make-up?!'

It was unbelievable.

It was like she was a whole different person in the photos.

'Unbelievable right?' Urahara laughed. 'Apparently living in the west changes a person!'

'If she became like this, the stuff she sent makes perfect sense.' said Tatsuki.

'Huh? Stuff she sent you?' Rukia blinked.

'Yeah. She sent us one hell of a christmas gift.' said Tatsuki. 'Its a whole new wardrobe! Clothes and shoes for spring, summer, fall and autumn! With accessories even! I still had no idea what goes where!' she exclaimed.

'They're gorgeous though!' Orihime squealed. 'Ishida-kun is already wearing the stuff she sent!' she pointed out as they looked at Uryu wearing trendy clothes.

'W-well considering our battles, I gained some muscle and outgrew my clothes...' he said awkwardly and pushed up his glasses on top of his nose with his hand, '-but how'd she know my size?' he wondered, pushing up his glasses.

'Actually she asked me your sizes so I basically snuck into your rooms late at night and set my measuring machine on you linking to my computer since I can't do it by hand or I'll wake you.' said Urahara.

'Huuuh?!'


	5. Visitation

A:N- To describe Ichigo's new shinigami outfit, its basically a tailcoat version of italian female police uniform with angled cuff sleeves with a beret hat. And instead of a sash to keep her zanpakuto in, it became a white sword belt.

* * *

Visitation

Urahara Shoten...

After dinner, Ichigo said she has to meet someone and would be home before midnight.

So she came to this place using Tenshunpo, a much faster version of Shunpo...that just can't be helped.

Sky Flames' Harmony, Assimilation, Balance plus weird-whatever aside, it also helps these people be much faster by losing considerable wind resistance, and be capable of flight as if they have Rocket Boosters if they have enough flames to do so, but its rare. Only true, powerful Skies are capable of hovering and even rarer to fly.

Poor Ichigo had to master Tenshunpo because she wrecked many trees in her wake forcing her to do it above the woods while practicing flying.

Flying is slower than Tenshunpo and neighbors would see.

Upon arrival, she made herself welcome.

'Ohh Ichigo-chan, welcome! Is this about the results of my analysis?'

'Yeah...and one other matter.' said Ichigo as she used her badge to knock herself out of her body and Urahara stared at Ichigo's new form. 'This happened when I got my powers back. I think my flames kinda influenced the new threads.'

'I can see why you came for a visit.' Urahara went serious. 'I'll have to take samples of your Reiryoku. Have you trained in Italy?'

'Yeah. My flames mix into my reiryoku. So it looks like I'm dishing out fire these days.' said Ichigo. 'My Getsuga Tenshou looked like flames even.' Urahara nodded. 'I'm wondering how this will affect me in Soul Society if I ever come for a visit. Then there's also using my flames on humans now that I got reiryoku again.'

'Naruhodo...we should begin testing, so we'll appear in Rukongai.' Urahara nodded. 'Shall we go?' Ichigo nodded as she followed him to his training area where a Senkaimon was. Its beside a machine though.

Urahara put in a keyword before it opened, leading them to Rukongai.

However, upon stepping foot in Soul Society, the changes were immediate.

Sure, she still kept her new appearance, but the colors went black and white. The flame on her forehead gone and her eyes stopped glowing. Her zanpakuto changed back to being a katana instead of a western sword.

'Uh...' the pair croaked, looking at her clothes.

However, not only that...

'My eyesight...is normal here...' Ichigo stammered out in disbelief as here, _she doesn't have eyes behind her head_.

'Normal?' Urahara put on acting as Ichigo CAN'T know they were spying on her through her badge. It was because of Seireitei's policy of Substitute Shinigamis that made Kugo Ginjou what he is today when he found out about the badge, and got a bad opinion about it. So Ichigo explained what happened to her in Italy. 'I see...so upon arriving here, your eyesight is no longer 360 degrees...'

'You have no idea how much headache that caused me.' said Ichigo gloomily. 'At least my clothes aren't annoyingly baggy and oversized anymore.'

'Let's go back to my house so I can take a sample of your flame-enhanced Reiryoku.' said Urahara. 'I'll give you the results by phone mail when I'm done.'

'Alright.'

Upon taking a sample from her newest form...

'Oh yes, I got a letter from Hisagi-fukutaicho.' said Urahara. 'He wants me to ask you to come to Seireitei for a photoshoot. Orihime-chan agreed already, all that's left, is you.'

'I guess I can come tomorrow...photoshoot about what?'

'Well, two jobs: Seireitei Women's Pin-Up Calendar for popular ladies, and the two of you will teach the clueless ladies upstairs how to dress like humans.'

'...seriously?' Ichigo gave him a flat look. 'I'm only here until the 27th you know. I'm not even here for New Year. I can shoot for the Calendar, but NOT dressing lessons! I have no idea when we'll get our next job.' she said. 'I wonder how long he'll keep us seven together.'

'Hooo...?'

'Oh yeah, I'm taking the girls with me. Where did goat-chin go anyway?'

'He got called to the hospital as 'reinforcements'.' said Urahara wryly. 'Apparently there's a massive disaster next town over their hospitals are full so some of their patients went to our hospital too to get treated. He said he'll try to be home on time.'

'What a christmas for these guys.' said Ichigo, feeling sorry for the people. 'Nobody wants to spend Christmas hooked up on machines and IV Drips.'

'Well, life's full of surprises.' said Urahara, taking out his fan to fan himself. 'You can never tell what the future will bring.'

'By the way, the new developments stay between us, OK?'

xxx

Seireitei...

'Oneechan, are we really in the land of the dead?' Yuzu asked her eldest sister who took them here to play...because she's here on a friend's request judging by the bag on her back.

'Yeah, we go here when we die...assuming you haven't done bad things in life, that is. But even then its a bad luck of the draw.' said Ichigo. 'The afterlife has good living places, and for those who lived while committing mild crimes, they end up in the slums.'

'Unbelievable. Even this place has slums.' Karin muttered wryly.

'Well, its for those who are jerks in life who did things like bullying, threatening, blackmail, theft, oppression, stuff like that. The slums they go to are basically Karma biting them back in the ass.' she said as they walked in Seireitei's streets. 'And this city we're in, only Shinigami are allowed to live here. I got Urahara to make you girls Spirit ID passes so you can come here with me.'

'But oneechan, wouldn't that mean you're a Shinigami? How?' Yuzu asked her as Ichigo looked sheepish.

'That's a long story...' she said. 'But we're here for work and play! We're hanging out by the 9th Division and I got some friends to keep you guys occupied while I'm here on a favor. They should be here right about now.'

'Ichigo!' they turned to see who called. It was Rukia.

'Hey! Who's in the photoshoot?' Ichigo asked her.

'Well, we need a lot of help.' Rukia grimaced. 'The readers sent a lot of surveys, but the thing is, we have no idea what to do with make-up and changing hairstyles...well, people tire of seeing the same old faces every day...'

The smile on Ichigo's face, scared Rukia somehow.

And so...

'This is wonderful!' Hisagi cried as the female Captains, Vice-Captains and Seated Officers(those who are popular that is), along with Orihime and Ichigo had wonderful pin-up photos in their best clothes, in different hairstyles and make-up. 'We couldn't have done this without Ichigo! They're gorgeous!'

The photos were incredible, to say the least.

And they can keep it as Hisagi has the film needed to print new magazines out. The photos will be strategically-conserved for future magazine prints of 'Shinigami Ladies' Pin-Ups'. And there are 20 photos per women...yep, its extra resources for the future!

'I can't believe this is US.' Kotetsu Isane stammered out as the dumbstruck ladies involved looked at their photos, wide-eyed in disbelief.

'We look like totally different people!' Soi Fon exclaimed and improved people at that. For the sake of hairstyles, the 12th Division had to be employed for Hair Growth tonics since loads of haircuts had to be done. From long-hair shots to short-hair shots in varying hairstyles.

'Oh my oh my...' Unohana stared at her photos. To mask her chest scar only Ichigo knew she has as she's the one doing make-up, the scar was hidden with good old foundation.

'I don't even recognize myself!' Rukia exclaimed, dumbstruck at her photos.

'I don't recognize myself either.' Nanao gulped as without her glasses and usual updo, she really can't recognize herself.

'This job is loads of fun!' Orihime squealed giddily.

'He-heee...you guys can be those pictures if you took dolling yourselves up seriously!' Ichigo chirped. 'How'zat?!'

'Can we hire you as our stylist?' Rangiku asked, her eyes sparkling, taking Ichigo's hands into hers.

'When my job is over! My contract isn't done yet I was just given days off for Christmas!'

The girls were very very happy with the results, especially with various background changes to suit their appearances and poses.

xxx

On the other hand...

Hitsugaya Toshiro had to deal with looking after Ichigo's younger sisters while Hisagi launched that photo shoot when Rukia took the twins to him.

He gave them a tour around Seireitei, answered many questions, treated them out to meals, and had to deal with questions from everyone who asked why he's with two girls close to his physical age.

Well, he knew Karin from a past job two years ago, since he and some others were stationed in Karakura Town to defend against Arrancar.

Well, he's wondering HOW can he live this down as Ichigo's sisters are now around physically same age as he is...he may be below-100, but he appears human 13...he's already getting whispers that he's 'trying to date two girls' at the same time!

"Kurosaki owes me big time for this, I swear...!"

xxx

'So hows your time with Toshiro?' Ichigo asked her sisters as she came to the 10th Division.

'He's really fun to be with, Ichi-nee!' Yuzu said happily. 'Can we come here again?'

'Well, when his schedule is free again. He's a Captain after all! We booked all this it'll take time to get booked again!' said Ichigo. 'Hisagi musta planned all this in advance.'

'Jeez Kurosaki, you owe me big time.' Hitsugaya sighed. He's sure rumors will spread by tomorrow, he swears on it.

'I know! Thanks!' Ichigo beamed. 'Have you guys had dinner yet?'

'Well no...'

'OK Toshiro! Show me the kitchen!'

'That's Captain Hitsugaya!' Hitsugaya reminded for what seems to be the umpteenth time as Karin and Ichigo calls him by name, while only Yuzu was politer, with 'Hitsugaya-san'.

And so...

The scenario on the white-clothed dining table, was so damn picturesque. Of course, the food was enough for six people only. Hitsugaya, Rangiku, Orihime, Ichigo and the twins.

'Uuuuuuuu...!'

Rangiku and Orihime openly drooled in delight, Hitsugaya had to restrain himself to preserve his image, and the twins were excited.

'Is it OK to eat this?! They're so gorgeous!' Rangiku exclaimed.

'Its dinner its obviously OK!' Ichigo sweatdropped at her dumb question.

'Let's eat~!'

Well, Ichigo did pay him for his troubles as after a delicious italian dinner(not that they know that), what followed next were delicious cakes and pastries as well as pies although they can only have cake for tonight, and the rest, were 'during-work snacks'.

'That was wonderful, Kurosaki.' said Hitsugaya, as they drank the finisher, a creamy mango smoothie. 'Where did you learn to cook like that?'

'I'm the lady of the house, I have to be that good.' said Ichigo smugly. 'That's basically Rule 101.'

'Thanks for the snacks Ichigo-chan~!' said Rangiku, smothering the poor girl into her cleavage. 'Work's not going to be dull for a while!'

'As long as you don't get icing and syrup on the documents.' Hitsugaya reminded her flatly.

xxx

'Did you girls have fun with Toshiro?' Ichigo asked as they left the Senkaimon.

'Yeah! I can't believe Karin-chan knows him though.' said Yuzu.

'That's because he's here in town two years ago, monster-exterminating.' said Karin. 'And like Ichi-nee, I can see spirits. We had a bad infestation two years back they had to be quick or there will be 'unscheduled deaths' they can't allow.' she explained. 'I nearly became freak food too.'

'Huh?!'

'That's the sucky part of having powers sometimes.' said Ichigo grimly. 'For Hollows, the more spiritual power a ghost has, the tastier it is to them to eat. Ghosts with no power whatsoever, is as bland as wet tissue, that's why you're safe.'

'Oh...then Karin-chan going out all the time...' Yuzu stammered, looking at her twin, scared for her sister. 'Is dangerous all this time?'

'Its OK now Yuzu. Karakura Town's anomaly is gone, its no longer a nesting ground. It went elsewhere so this town is safe.' Ichigo reassured her.

'Anomaly?'

'Apparently, once every 100 years, a piece of land with a radius of half a spirit mile. Places the same size as our town, will become a Juureichi once every hundred years and it changes locations. As of two years ago, our town's period as Juureichi is over so its a normal town again. Soon, ghosts and hollows can no longer stay here as they need Reishi to breathe. They'll look for places where there's lots of Reishi until Shinigami come to Konso them. I can do it but there are rules.'

'Rules?'

'Its a cycle of life to maintain balance.' said Ichigo. 'Imagine a bowl full of soup. There's a bowl above the other. Then imagine tiny soup drops as souls.' she told her sisters. 'When someone in the living world dies, the soul goes up when Konso-ed. Then someone in Rukongai or Seireitei dies so that soul will reincarnate in the living world without a memory of their past as blank souls so they can start a new life. Each world must contain the exact same number of souls. Excess souls in one world, or less souls in the other, will cause the one with excess souls to tip over to the lesser one, mixing together life and death...and what happens is incredibly bad no words can describe it.' she said. 'I'm only allowed to send souls if other Shinigami are with me so I don't just Konso left and right leading to nasty consequences.'

'As for Hollows, they are once ghosts too, but their 'time' through their Chain of Fate on their chests ran out, becoming Hollows with hunger for souls. No one knows where the souls they eat go to when killed though. So they had to be killed to maintain balance as well as unsanctioned deaths had to be regulated by protecting the living from them. The only times its 'legal' to die is if you die from illness, accidents or becoming a murder victim as those three things, are not our faults. The only cause of death that's our fault, will be suicide as we killed ourselves. But as a price for that, your soul chain is shorter, and nobody will Konso you, so you become a Hollow.'

'Heeee...'

'Well, that's what I learned from Ikkaku-san at least.'

* * *

Mystery Illustrated Book: Part 4

A whole society is spying on Shinigami Activities for 1000 years now.

Thus on present date...

The attention was on the photo shoot, make-up and hairstyling activities.

A lot of people have to give wide, wiiiiide berths as three girls looked positively murderous in rage from jealousy.

Another girl joined, complete with a grumbling stomach when Ichigo cooked gorgeous-looking food...

Everyone steered clear of these four angry girls...because those who were sadly within their eyesight at their mental state, didn't go quietly and _painlessly_...


	6. Not-quite-cursed?

Not-quite-cursed?

When Ichigo got called home at around near-Summer by her family citing 'extreme emergency'...the seven others escorted Ichigo home since they got nothing to do for the moment.

Well, Ichigo had to deal with one heck of a war in the afterlife...only this time, she was er, wiser as a fighter and pragmatic, having dealt with Mafioso for a year now and she was much, much stronger than the Sternritters, but couldn't hold a candle against Yhwach and Haschwalth, leading to her training by the Zero Squad with a few others.

Success is very, VERY hard-earned.

While the others are in a hotel in Karakura, they had no idea what their Sky is going through, and came back stronger to their disbelief because they all felt a boost in their strength they were pretty sure all mafia would get hard-ons trying to recruit them through Ichigo now...

But for some reason, she has eyes that's 'seen a lot'.

And she wouldn't say what happened.

She just smiled at them with a tired, weary smile and said, 'It's OK. Its over so don't worry about it anymore.'

'You guys take care of my daughter alright?' Isshin told the soon-to-be Arcobaleno. 'Let's just say a lot happened that's best left unsaid.' He was also just as weary but...relieved to be alive by the looks of his face.

They knew they wouldn't get any more than that, so...back to Italy they went.

However...they had one last job that year after Ichigo went home to Italy with them when her 'family emergency' is settled.

They were to climb up a mountain for discovered buried treasure and retrieve it for a client before other famiglias get it. They got a hidden base somewhere there.

Indeed, they had to go through a lot of mafioso in the mountains for that.

But upon reaching the top...

Boy oh boy...

They were shined on with a mysterious light and all thought they were under attack as Colonello jumped out of nowhere and shielded Lal with himself.

'UWAAAA!'

'What is this?!' Viper gasped out.

'LAL LOOK OUT!' Colonello jumped out of nowhere, stunning a shocked Lal.

'Colonello?! Wah!' she got tackled to the ground, her arms and feet outside of Colonello's body range and next thing they knew...they all shrunk, and wore white cloaks and barefoot.

'W-what happened to us?' Skull stammered out as they're all children. Not just children, but pre-teens. Ichigo was just right at least.

"Er, I did it right...why're they not babies?" Checkerface wondered as this era's Seven Strongest didn't become babies. They became kids! "Oh well, at least the Pacifiers are working right, its all that matters." and he left. Though he did wonder how these humans got their flames so strong than when he first met them and Ichigo was understandably non-human standards in strength because she was extremely powerful, one-of-a-kind rare birth although he was sad he would be the one to end her powerful life early on to keep feeding the pacifier.

He would have chosen Luce as she was his kin, and she and her unborn child are the last of their species, but even then the bloodline is thinning that the flames each generation produces are getting smaller and smaller in capacity while maintaining its strength and purity that they can't hold the position for long. So he looked elsewhere and scored Ichigo Kurosaki.

But that does NOT explain those seven others! He knows their level of strength, so why did they all gain a great boost of power?!

He supposed it has something to do with Ichigo somehow. Just by being near her, their strength increase by several levels...how is it possible?!

He needs to know how. Fast.

'What the hell happened to all of you?' Ichigo cried as her friends became kids. 'Hey?!'

'That's what we want to know!' Viper sputtered. 'Why are we _children_ while you're perfectly OK?!' he cried as Ichigo was the only one unchanged.

'What's going on here...there's no treasure on this mountain, only this awaited us all along?' Fon choked out, looking at his small hands. 'And Ichigo, anything with you?'

'I just felt I lost a chunk of myself for some reason...and I can see the future all of a sudden.' Ichigo griped, looking furious. 'I can see from now till the end...that because we're not too happy about being duped like this, we parted ways...half of us remained Freelancers, half of us worked with famiglias. None of us forgave this day...'

'Who would?!' Viper snarled when a notebook appeared out of nowhere and fell in front of Ichigo.

'Er, can someone get that? I'm still disoriented from losing a bit of myself and being bombarded with the future?'

Reborn volunteered and read the notebook aloud.

According to the notebook, they were chosen as the current era's I Prescelti Sette who are handpicked to become Arcobaleno, individuals with the strongest flames of their class. Created to be human sacrifices to protect the pacifiers that they now wear, cursed treasures whose shine must not go out thus it is lit up with their own flames that it takes to stay lit. While the six others are turned into infants in order to not feel the strain, stress and weight of their roles so they are made to 'walk out of time', being unable to age or die due to old age, the Sky Arcobaleno is always cursed with a short lifespan in exchange for the power to see the future as its their role as the Sky Arcobaleno.

'S-short lifespan...' Ichigo stammered in horror as her spirits and friends were none-too-happy about this. 'I'm going to die young?' she whimpered, terrified.

Additionally, if one or more Arcobaleno dies, the Sky Arcobaleno can revive them all at the expense of his/her life.

The Pacifiers can also function like Flame Rings for them to emit their flames for functional use. And by using the Pacifier, they can bond with an animal of their choice, that can possess the abilities to possess functions they need. Storage, Transport, and Weaponry. And depending on the animal they chose, producing substances/items only they could, that are very flame-reinforced that if sold, would be heinously expensive. They are also to protect a specific location in Jura, an unexplored region by humans to watch over the Spring, as its waters can strengthen the pacifier's shine.

And combining their powers, they can exist as points in space and time.

Almost everybody has no idea what the hell that meant, and immediately gave Verde that kind of 'homework' to his disbelief, but accepted the challenge as he was a scientist and its his job _to know_.

As Ichigo had foreseen, none of them forgave this as this effectively ruined their lives, and Ichigo had foreseen when she'll die as a human, before she fully becomes a spirit that can become Shinigami straightaway. Due to her immense powers, she would live up to being an old granny at least, something she was thankful for. But still...

Reborn, Fon and Skull who took great pride in their hard-earned physical abilities were the most upset, fearing years of hard work vanished, so they tested their physical abilities...they still have it.

'What, you still have it so that means we still have our strength and capability as adults, we just de-aged.' Lal sighed in relief. The seven guardian Arcobalenos indeed looked relieved. They'd hate it if they lost their capabilities that made them who they are today.

'Wait, something appeared on the notebook...its a mist illusion-made footnote.' Viper called out as he picked it up. 'It says, 'I have no idea why you didn't turn into babies as its supposed to happen to newly-christened Arcobalenos, but I feel that your strength increased just by being near your Sky so I suppose its a boon'. I think just to spite this bastard we should keep it to ourselves.'

'I agree. I don't appreciate being duped.' Lal grumbled.

'Are you guys going to be OK? What about your careers? Would anyone take you guys seriously now that you got chibi-fied?' Ichigo began to fret.

Her guardians' countenance darkened.

'Oh don't worry, they'll find out the _painful_ way we **mean** business.' said Reborn coolly with a dark expression in his eyes before looking at her in concern. 'But what about you? You have a short lifespan.'

'Er about that...' Ichigo scratched her head. 'I foresaw it...due to how strong I am, I'll die a centenarian old hag. Its no different from natural causes.' several jaws dropped.

What. The. Eff...?

'Then again...she's the strongest Sky in the world that's indeed plausible.' Verde nodded thoughtfully in a thinking pose.

'I'm more worried about you guys! You're practically immortal!' Ichigo sputtered worriedly. 'Immortal but not invincible! What do you think will _happen to you_ if I die decades from now?!'

They froze.

If their Sky dies...and losing a Sky is worse than death to them mentally, emotionally, spiritually AND their flames losing its Harmony...yikes...

'...there's that.' Skull whimpered as the others looked utterly disturbed and freaked out(or as they can express it as most of them have their pride).

'Decades from now and Ichigo's 17 this year...we have 83 years before we lose her as a Sky.' said Colonello with a gulp. 'Before we...go mental that shooting ourselves is much nicer.'

'...why are we seven immortal but not the Sky?' Fon lamented. To harmonized Guardians, losing their Sky is the worst possible thing to happen to them and they all deeply cared for Ichigo in their own way. Ichigo was a traumatized, cynical teenager who had to be the mature one for her sisters and terrible adults along with being wrongly-judged for years but despite all that, she turned out to be an ideal Sky who looked after her elements it was hard not to harmonize with the not-civilian-anymore girl.

'Ask that sicko when we find that bastard.' Mammon griped. They parted ways wondering what to do now that their situation changed drastically and they had to regain the respect they earned for years.

Ichigo decided to pay Urahara a visit and tell him what the heck happened, and her request.

'You want to stop the 'time' of your body so your body won't age for it to stay strong until your foreseen death?' Urahara asked Ichigo.

'Yeah. I'm a mafiosa now and that means my life is in danger on a daily basis and becoming a frail old hag is out of the question, and I'm a Sky.' said Ichigo with a gulp. 'Seven sanities are on my hands and conscience. I can't die because they're outside of time, stuck as kids forever. I can't die too early before my expiration date, not at least until Verde figures a way out of this because they don't know I have afterlife connections.'

'Well you got a point there...' Urahara snorted. 'I still have the Hougyoku with me and now that we know what it can _really_ do, you can use it to make a wish that it will grant, using a large chunk of your reiatsu. Are you prepared?'

'Yeah. I won't age until our curses end together.' said Ichigo in determination before looking haunted. 'I guess I'm stuck in Italy until then. Ageless people don't belong in normal society after all. And I don't know what will happen to my status if I leave my body for a Shinigami form because we're not allowed to let the pacifier's light go out so I can't become a Shinigami while I'm cursed.' she said. 'I can finish High School while faking my age but no more than that.'

'...there's that...' Urahara scratched his head while looking at the troubled teenager. 'You sure get into interesting situations...'

'Gimme a break...how am I going to tell them?'

After stopping her time, matching her condition with that of her new friends', she confronted her human friends and family about her new situation and that she had to stay in Italy with her Guardians until the figure a way out of the curse without compromising what could happen if they stop even for a minute. That and she has to watch over them because they all turned into grade schoolers and none of them forgave the set up.

'Holy shit...only you Ichigo, only you.' Keigo groaned.

'See the future...?' Orihime croaked out.

'Aa. For instance, hime!' Ichigo pointed at her making her squeak. 'Do NOT go to that party you're invited to in Naruki City this weekend! You'll regret it big time!'

'What party?!' Tatsuki turned to Orihime. 'You never mentioned that.'

'I was about to but my cell phone fell into the river...' Orihime said sheepishly. 'I had to get it fixed...but what will happen Ichigo-chan?'

'A fate no woman would want to happen to them in their life.' Ichigo grunted. 'You were set-up for it because you and Tatsuki's new pals are jealous of your figure they decided to sell you out to be...forced against your will.' while Orihime didn't get it, everyone sure as hell did. 'Nobody found you ever again.' That one, Orihime feared. 'Don't leave Orihime alone. Kill them if you have to.' she grunted darkly, causing her friends to balk at the idea.

'Ishida, your dad will set you up in a marriage arrangement with a business partner's daughter next month.' Uryu squawked at this. 'This girl is a totally-certified 100% bitch so do all you can to make this arrangement fail.' she told him. 'Her father lied to yours when in reality they're going bankrupt so in the end, your family will be the one to shoulder all financial burdens and that's going to suck!'

'What the hell?!' Uryu yelled in aghast.

'Make it fail no matter what, and you'll meet a girl you'll gladly marry when you're 25.' Ichigo grinned. 'Surpass this hurdle and you're happily married if you do.' she took out a small radio and pressed the play button... _-yes its sad to belong to someone else, when the right one comes along..._ ...that played an english song making Uryu sputter and their gang to sweatdrop.

'O-omae na...' Uryu shuddered because she hit home too hard if he fails to persuade his dad.

'Keigo, make sure you got a lot of money for tonight because your date wants to eat out in an expensive seafood restaurant called Shellfish Paradise! At least bring 100.000 yen with you to survive without embarrassment. And choose a better girlfriend who won't fleece you dry next time.'

'HUH?!' Keigo freaked out. 'I don't have that kind of money! At least tell me what she'll order so I can prepare!'

'Everyone else is thankfully normal.' Ichigo sighed. 'And Keigo, I explicitly said 100.000 cuz' that's enough for the date and transport home and you're flat broke by the time you get home.' Keigo turned into white granite.

'Out of all of us, Inoue's the one in most danger.' said Uryu grimly. 'Arisawa where did you meet these new friends of yours?! Inoue is too nice to fight back! We should set them up back to get arrested for this!' he cried furiously.

'I agree. I can't go back to Italy like this either.' Ichigo griped. 'Here's what we're going to do...'

They began the set-up and arrest because the police need proof before they can act and Orihime the reluctant bait.

When things happened as predicted...some men who 'purchased' Orihime were arrested, while the teenagers who set Orihime up, are in big trouble with both the law, school and their families. That, and the Police's Cybercrime Division had to erase Orihime's pictures on the net and thankfully, its a recent publish as er...photos of newbies take a week to stay permanent on the site. Had this not been caught sooner, she'd be mistaken for a willing Contract Prostitute!

With Orihime safe, but this incident made her grow up to reality that she can no longer be what she used to be and with the gang promising to protect her until she 'fully matured', Ichigo attended school in Tokyo, before flying to Italy upon graduation to function as the Sky Arcobaleno and the current Sword Empress who defeated more than a hundred sword-users while looking bored before she became an Arcobaleno.

To quote Ichigo to Urahara, 'There's no better swords-user than me in the living world, the better guys than me are all in the freaking afterlife!' much to the man's amusement. Very few can defeat Ichigo due to her incredible growth rate. Urahara, Yoruichi, the Vizard Captains, Captain Kyoraku and Squad Zero. _That few people_.

Ichigo eventually created a business that creates 'specially-treated' silk fabric as her partner, the Bark Spider Okinu produces silk fabric stronger than kevlar, and when she bonded with her animal she grew to be as large as her head.

While Okinu can become anything she needed to be, her prime ability is making the world's strongest silk fabric sought-after as its of better quality than normal Bark Spiders as Okinu is the _partner of an Arcobaleno_. And its flame Resistant that through Mafia Media, a sheet of fabric can resist multiple barrages from knives, bullets from all types of guns, cannonballs, and other exposures and its still a-ok. It can even withstand flames, but Storm Flames can cause small damages such as a mere _singe_ , and Cloud-reinforced Storm Flames can really cause serious damage. Other types can't harm it at all. However, while its quality tested to save you from death, it doesn't mean you won't get bruises and light bone cracks upon impact, but that's better than an ICU stint. Falling from high places? That will still kill you by laws of physics and gravity.

The problem?

Its as expensive as Flame Rings that only Dons can afford one, or very wealthy mafioso, though she gave free silk wardrobes to her friends/guardians or in Skull's case, underclothing as he likes his leather. Any clothing she makes, is instantly made as pieces of clothing, not a fabric roll as it'll be impossible to cut and for a needle to sew into. So sizes are taken, and bam. Instant shirt, pants, socks, underwear...etc, etc. Its even dyed! She also bonded with a young Vicuna(going to where it lived) she named Mokomoko-chan for its expensive, high-quality wool too her guardians _really wonder now_...at least they get free stuff when said stuff _costs a ransom with great defensive properties_.

In Japan, her father and the Ishidas gets free formal and business wear from her in their preferred designs as Uryu learned needles can't get into her fabrics her partners has to make and measure on the spot and be very descriptive to her partners for their specifications, and her female friends and sisters gets free silk clothing from her. Particularly kimonos and yukatas and the obis.

The suits sure helped Uryu impress years later, and his father was the envy of his peers during meetings for having access to _vicuna-made suits and high-quality neckties_.

Ichigo can also choose to make normal vicuna stuff but the silk made from Okinu is impossible to be made normal. Clothing aside, she sells kevlar armor too, while training hard in firearms, parkour, obstacle courses, making and escaping traps, computers and driving skills because being the strongest seven has that much social pressure in the underworld...she was busy. Very busy.

However, a year into being an Arcobaleno...Ichigo got paid a visit by a woman dressed in white with a _cushion_ for a hat, carrying a baby.

'Ichigo Kurosaki?'

'Er, yes lady?' Ichigo asked as the woman was flanked by six men.

'We'd like us to talk.' she said as she sat down with her. 'Originally, I was to be the Sky Arcobaleno whether or not I was pregnant.' Ichigo gawked at her incredulously. 'Its been the duty of my family bloodline, the Giglio Nero Famiglia's Sephira Family. Regardless of who the other elements are, the women of my family must always be the Sky Arcobaleno. But lately, our blood is thinning to the point we can't even last twenty years despite the strength and purity of our flames...the problem was capacity and no opportunity to grow stronger as a result. Its what Checkerface told me because my bloodline was trusted not to abuse the power of the Sky Arcobaleno when others before abused it to great degree he had to...express his displeasure for messing with the power too much.'

'I see, so that duping bastard paid you a visit.' Ichigo scowled. 'But you seem to accept this lousy situation until you got wind you and your daughter are safe and free to live your full lives. Shouldn't you be happier about that?'

'Well, I was resigned to it since my mother made sure I knew what I'm in for since I was little that our freedom is pretty new to me.' said the woman with a sad smile. 'She didn't last long either. Living long enough for me to be pregnant with Aria, named her grandchild and breathed her last.' Ichigo balked at the picture her words painted.

'Born to die young? That's one messed-up shit there lady.' Ichigo grimaced. The woman chuckled weakly.

'Yes. After you're gone, a female of my family will bear the burden again but that one won't last long either no doubt. How did you do it?' the woman asked her. Ichigo used her power to see the future...before beckoning the woman to come closer for a whisper. 'O-oh my! I see...' the woman gasped. 'No wonder...'

'I know you won't tell that bastard in exchange for a favor. And you will not betray this either so I'll do your family a favor.' Ichigo grinned. 'At least enjoy your family's long life this time around while I hold the fort. Don't waste these remaining 83 years of my post, lady. 83 years to prepare the next poor schmuck for this job.'

'Muu, must you word it that way?' the woman pouted.

'You painted a grim picture earlier too you know! Tit for tat!' Ichigo griped in her retort. 'Thankfully I don't see the bastard around us and no future of him eavesdropping...' Ichigo touched the woman and Empowered her, startling her guardians as their Sky suddenly became ridiculously strong...and she did the same to their little miss with a touch. The woman squeaked at being suddenly so extremely strong.

'83 years to prepare my great-grandchild...huh?' the woman said ruefully. 'Uhm, can you escort me home though?'

'Yeah, I foresaw that a lot of nosy shits felt that and will be curious.' said Ichigo. 'Being seen with you with this thing on my neck will be a good diversion at least since any mafioso worth their salt knows what an Arcobaleno is. Guess who's not leaving their house for quite some time?'

The woman pouted.


	7. The future

The future

Ichigo visits home every five years.

Its impossible to track her down, much less follow her as she has several cheats, and she's too fast with shunpo to be followed.

She's not the world's strongest and fastest Sky for nuthin'. In the mafia world, her name is simply just Ichigo and tended to wear a mask that covers only half her head when in Italy. But in Japan, her mask is off and her pacifier under her shirt and wears a jacket. But in Italy, she dresses in outfits that flaunted her figure which was often cropped tops, lots of thin straps, and form-fitting jeans.

She was one other than Fon, to catch bullets bare-handed between her fingers. Its very hard to mess with her that she gained respect often in the painful way as in the mafia world, women are hardly ever taken seriously, but her missions as I Prescelti Sette made the mafia world think differently. Lal would have done the job had she not restricted herself to COMSUBIN...and beat the ever-loving tar out of Colonello.

Her first visit was when she was 22 years old.

All her friends are now college graduates while Uryu pursues a Ph.D in Master's Degree to be fit to be his dad's successor in their hospital. Until then, he's Vice-Director until the day he retires for Uryu to be Director.

'Ne ne you haven't heard yet so I'll tell you!' said Orihime. 'Rukia-chan married Abarai-san!'

Ichigo's jaws dropped in shock.

Rukia is of noble stock by adoption.

And Renji's a typical commoner...

'Hold on a mo', how the hell did Renji get **Byakuya's** approval?! Byakuya of all people?!' Ichigo squawked. 'Byakuya's very prideful about his social status! Renji musta paid more than an arm and a leg to marry into the family!' she exclaimed. 'I'd have thought the Kuchikis won't adopt sons anymore after a certain part of their history...' she said with a wince.

Who'd forget Kuchiki Koga and Muramasa?

'Well, I guess he made an exception for some reason, but he's not talking but he DID get very drunk in the party and he's a very funny drunk.' Orihime giggled and Ichigo moaned and bitched on how she missed a once-in-a-lifetime chance because of her curse. 'Ishida-kun, Sado-kun and I went to the wedding with your daddy since we're invited. You'd be invited too if it wasn't for your curse...even Urahara-san can't tell what will happen here if you leave the human world for even one second.' she said sadly.

'There's that.' Ichigo sighed. 'I could have made a wedding gown as a gift. Ah well. Since her sizes didn't change, I can at least make her clothes for Urahara to convert for afterlife use and deliver it there as a belated wedding gift. I don't know Renji's size under that baggy shinigami uniform so he won't be getting squat from me.'

'Too bad for him~' Orihime chuckled.

xxx

Soul Society...a week later...

'Rukia-chan!' Orihime paid a visit, carrying a big gift-wrapped box.

'Oh, Inoue.' Rukia greeted as she's now Interim Captain of the 13th Squad but for now not official yet since she's still doing a shitload of Ukitake's backlog work that would take her years to finish. 'And what's that box?!' she gaped at the big white box with silver ribbons.

'Ichigo-chan just heard of the wedding late, so she sent belated gifts.' said Orihime, putting the box in the office. 'She doesn't know Abarai-kun's sizes under your uniforms so she couldn't get him any.'

'Well that's understandable though Renji will bitch about it anyway.' Rukia snorted as she stood up to see what's in the box and ripped it apart to see paper-wrapped packages labeled 'summer wear', 'spring wear', 'autumn wear' and 'winter wear' respectively. 'Clothes?!'

'Yup yup!' Orihime beamed. 'Ichigo-chan's Arcobaleno Animal partners made these stuff after she designed them. They're really comfortable to wear and very durable! All of them can withstand knives, bullets and cannonballs in the real world though I don't know if they can withstand the powers here and we'd rather not test that without her here.' the redhead said sheepishly.

'Right...' Rukia twitched. Ichigo's curse made her impossible to be a Shinigami for the rest of her mortal life even if she stopped her body from aging using the Hougyoku so she wouldn't be an old hag when she dies and comes here.

As Seireitei's hero many times over, Kyoraku-taicho decided to improve Seireitei's standards as the Quincy Wars taught them a terrible lesson for being lax and too relaxed that they grossly-paid for it. So he declared '50 years of back-breaking training then 10 years of holiday, rinse and repeat' as they can't count on Ichigo to save the day again for the next crisis if it ever happens during her remaining mortal life as a curse-bound Arcobaleno. That, and she's done more than enough for them he felt they should improve to get better.

Snapping out of her musings, she was amazed at the gorgeous clothes she's got. Gorgeous silk kimonos with very bright and detailed prints. Silk for summer, and very fine wool for the cool seasons its soooo comfy to touch~!

'Oh wow, they're so gorgeous!' Rukia squealed before pausing. 'Animal Partners?'

'All Arcobaleno's got one as assistants for their jobs.' said Orihime. 'Ichigo-chan took a spider and a type of Llama for silk and fur for sale. Here's Okinu-chan and Mokomoko-chan.' she took out two photos one of which freaked Rukia out.

Okinu who's clearly the spider has its head the size of hers and its abdomen twice that and Ichigo freely holds that freaky thing in her arms like a pet, and the sight of those eyes and legs made her shudder, while the Llama that's as big as a dog looks cute.

'Hiii!'

'That's the general reaction.' said Orihime wryly, looking pale herself. 'But she cared more for practical use though. She's earning lots of money selling her things.'

'P-put that picture away, I'm going to have nightmares...' Rukia shuddered as Orihime put it away and Rukia went back to exploring the large gift box. 'Kimonos aside, I see nagajuban too...silk and fur no doubt but what's this?'

She took out a parcel that read, 'bedroom wear'.

Rukia thought its pajamas so she thought nothing of it.

Hours later in her house, the bedroom...

'Hey, what's that?' Renji asked as they were getting ready for bed after a day's work.

'Ah, Ichigo's belated wedding gift.' said Rukia. 'She sent me a whole wardrobe and since she doesn't know your size, she can't get you anything.' Renji squawked at not getting a gift from her as Rukia tore the 'bedroom wear' parcel apart only to see...incredibly revealing and sexualized negligees and underwear. 'W-wha?!' Rukia choked, her neck going red all the way to her head as she knew these were no innocent pajamas...she is SO going to kill Ichigo!

'I wouldn't mind you in those.' Renji grinned wolfishly, making his wife go red-faced, sputtering. 'I'm a healthy husband with energy to match and seeing his wife wear cute things like that will make his source of energy spike up.'

Rukia clearly didn't get what he was implying.

'E-eh?! Niisama will kill us both if he sees me in these! He'll think you bought it!' she squeaked as her mind pictured all sorts of horrifying possibilities.

'Its called bedroom wear for a reason. He won't barge into people's bedrooms y'know.' Renji snorted. 'So, gonna wear those?' he teased her, making her sputter.

'Don't tell anyone or you're on the couch for ten years!'

xxx

In five years...

Ichigo's sisters are now sophomore high schoolers attending her old high school. She may be older but looks as young as her sisters.

'Ichi-nee, okaeri!' Yuzu greeted.

'Okaeri Yuzu.' Ichigo grinned. 'Where's pops and Karin?'

'Well, in Seireitei.' said Yuzu. 'Something about family matters.'

'Family? We don't have relatives up there.' Ichigo scoffed.

Yuzu fidgeted.

'Well, daddy really wanted us nothing to do with his background since _being a noble is such a hassle_...' Ichigo's jaws dropped for the second time that day. 'He's from the Shiba Clan. The family used to be the fifth Great Noble House but because Uncle Kaien died with no heir and his brother unsuitable, the Shiba Clan fell.' Yuzu explained. 'Daddy's a Shiba too but from a Branch House he used to be Head of. But since thanks to your part in many events up there...' Yuzu winced as she and her twin got a rundown on what Ichigo's done to save worlds many times. 'The Shiba Clan got elevated again and Karin-chan's being groomed to be a family head as daddy going AWOL made him...unsuited.'

'W-what the hell?! What about school?!'

'Karin-chan will finish High School...then live in Seireitei permanently going to Shinno Academy and become a Shinigami before she takes on her duties.' Yuzu explained. 'That would have been you but you got cursed...that, and you did enough already the others felt it unfair if they dropped Noble Headship on you all of a sudden. You saved all three worlds and now you're part of the support of the Human World until you die.'

'Well I guess that's reasonable...it'd be weird if I'm made leader all of a sudden.' Ichigo shuddered. 'Heck, I'm the Sky but its Reborn who's the leader since I'm no leader for this mafia thing...I'm more of a Freelancer for the highest bidder now and selling designer wear for the Mafia...'

'Well, that's normal about you for once.' Yuzu deadpanned. 'Ma, its just us home for now and those two will be up there for a month this summer.'

'Well, wanna hit the beach?'

'But Ichi-nee, won't your necklace be a dead giveaway?' Yuzu asked worriedly. 'That shows your big status in Italy right?'

Arcobaleno. Italian word for Rainbow.

It represents the seven Flames of the Sky that when grouped together forms the colors of the rainbow. There's a group called that, for possessing the strongest flames of their generation in their era, as well as being the best in their fields.

'I have ways to hide it.'

She did on X day at the beach, as Ichigo wore a turtleneck bikini top with a diamond cleavage cut...and her pacifier buried in her chest safely, well-hidden and can happily spend time with her sister, sharing a cabin for three weeks whether activities or double-dates...but Ichigo will put her foot down if she sees even the slightest hint of dating discomfort from her sister if her date gets too touchy-feely. And Ichigo will also put her foot down because she's concealing an important item between her jugs that must not be seen in public.

Celibacy for 83 years of her life, huh? Uggh...not unless she's lucky to find a man who'd do right by her.

xxx

Ichigo, 30 years old...

'Ichigo, how come you're not getting any older?' Reborn asked her after seeing her in years when they both had vacation in Mafia Land.

'I paid to stop my aging since frailty by age will kill me young so I fulfilled my visions of the future to really live up to my natural death by halting my body's aging by asking an old friend back home for help.' said Ichigo. 'By staying young and springy, I'll really die a centenarian.'

'I see...so how're things now for you eh?'

'Well, I'm stuck 17 while my old friends moved away and married, my sisters now have jobs and dad is still the same as ever.' said Ichigo. 'Hey Reborn, wanna know something?'

'Shoot.'

'Actually, for ages long before us, a woman from a certain family is supposed to be always the Sky Arcobaleno. One woman from that certain family.' said Ichigo as this got Reborn's attention. 'Had HE not discovered me, this lady woulda been your Sky, but she's doomed to die too young into the job because the bloodline's power is thinning. Her own mother didn't last even twenty years, living long enough for her daughter to marry and have a baby and repeat the cycle of marrying early and dying young. Not only that, they were natural seers while I only had this ability thanks to the Pacifier.'

'...the Giglio Nero...huh?' Reborn muttered as they were the only family he knows to have that power. Due to their ability, it was hard to get one-up on that family by their enemies as they're always prepared very ahead of time. 'So Luce could have been our Sky?'

'And her daughter Aria when she kicks the bucket in fifteen years. She's resigned to her fate considering she was told of it since young along with foreseeing her future. That's one sad lady. Born to die young.' Ichigo shook her head. 'For now I'm holding the fort for them so they have my remaining life to prepare the next schmuck for the job and who knows how long they last this time. I empowered Luce and Aria and Luce swore to keep my secret to her grave and I foresaw she and her daughter will not betray me. Somehow being empowered made them a little vindictive. Luce awakened her rebellious spirit after gaining hope after twenty years of resignation.'

'Well, if you were doomed to die young by that man, who wouldn't.' Reborn muttered. 'So what will you do now, selling clothes aside?'

'I'll look for Skies to empower.' said Ichigo. 'Empower on the sly of course.' she grinned. 'With my power, I can know who's worth it and who's not. Incase the Giglio Nero end in a couple centuries, we have insurance.'

'I see...'

'But how will you guys take bonding to new Skies after I die? I hope Colonello's not serious about blowing his head off on my deathbed...'

'Well, you have to be a Guardian to understand our fears of what will happen if we lose our harmony.' said Reborn. 'Most times, Guardians deliberately avoid finding Skies to spare them the pain of losing harmony or they'd rather die than their Skies first. It was far safer being unbonded but you just can't help it if your flames latch to compatible skies even without you knowing if you're unbonded for so long that it made your power desperate for harmony no matter how hard one tries to back off.'

'Damn if you do, damn if you don't.'

'Exactly.' they then heard a beep.

'Ah, someone challenged me again for my title...' Ichigo mused before snarking, 'They can wait! I'm on a holiday vacation darn it! My poor partners are overworked!'

'Well, you're not Sword Empress and Tailor of the Underworld for nothing.' Reborn chuckled. 'By the way, I need a new suit.'

In this parallel world, things changed indeed because Checkerface chose Ichigo, not Luce.

There weren't that many Skies in the world given how rare they are, as Arcobaleno Status kills them young in life.

So Ichigo seeks to empower them for better chances of Skies being born after marriage.

The Giglio Nero who ensures they always marry Skies regardless of whether they are civilian(this means they're latent, not active) or not, now have six daughters all born a year after their eldest sister and a year after each sister was born with Luce planning to ensure she always conceives daughters, all knew their duty since birth. To get stronger to prepare their future descendants to inherit the job once Ichigo passes. Ichigo empowered all of them of course.

After Aria Sephira was born, the boy who would have become Xanxus followed four years after her. Dino Cavallone was born six years after her. After Dino for seven years, is Byakuran Gesso...and following him, was one Sawada Tsunayoshi after two years.

Ichigo has foreseen the future of who's worthy of being empowered by her in their infancy.

After that, she remained in Tokyo, even becoming a Yakuza Leader at some point to a family aware of how the Mafia works.

* * *

Shinigami Illustrated Picture Book Part 5:

It wasn't being kidnapped by Aizen, abused by Loly and Menoly under threat of death, held hostage by Nnoitra and Tesla, brainwashed by Tsukishima and protecting Ichigo who fought Yhwach that made Orihime grow up to reality, it was the horror of being sold out for sex by new friends when Ichigo foresaw that horrible future and it sunk in years too late that she can't forgive anyone for their atrocities anymore as not everyone can be around to protect her forever.

Ichigo was the first to leave among her circle of friends, and after college, everyone will go separate ways for their jobs.

She also got fully-aware from Tatsuki what effect her body has on men. Thus Orihime sought sparring times with Tatsuki since, and asked Yoruichi for lessons afterward.

Thus three years after high school, she was a 'violent beauty' in College despite smiling and behaving sweetly, but lord help you if you're a pervert or a bastard in general that Tatsuki began to fear her best friend in a comical way. And the whole university feared her because she was 'monstrously strong'.

No man on Earth was willing to marry her and Orihime feared being an unmarried old hag, so by age 30, she moved to Soul Society, living there permanently and making a living by opening a Bakery and sweets shop.

She did well and she eventually married the most highly-unlikely man in the city...but she was happier here than in the living world.

xxx

12th Division's Monitoring Room...

'Sooo taicho, do we give Kurosaki the video of Kuchiki's wedding day?' Akon asked Kurotsuchi when he replayed Ichigo whining and moaning she didn't get to see a drunk Byakuya.

'As much as I want to, I don't want to die just yet.' said Kurotsuchi wryly, imagining in dread that should Byakuya find out, he would have to look over his shoulders on a daily basis for a pink, deadly avalanche of sharp petals from his Shikai or worse, Bankai. 'But save the footage anyway.'

'MAYURI-SAMAAA! WHEEEERE AREEE YOOOOOU?!' Akon and Kurotsuchi winced at that high-pitched yelling. 'YOU'RE LAAAATE!'

'Goodness gracious, Nanagou wasn't this loud and annoying, why can't she be as quiet as her predecessor?!' the captain grumbled as he strode off. 'I'm coming you brat and you stay quiet!' he cried in exasperation, stomping off.

'...taicho's changed a lot hasn't he?' Tsubokura Rin commented. 'He used to be mean to Nanagou-san but after the war, he changed a lot when he came home with just her brain.'

'Aa.' said Akon with a wistful smile. 'Nanagou must have evolved in a way that made him very happy since she was an artificial lifeform to begin with.' he said. 'I don't know what happened but what she must have done made him so happy he was nicer to Hachigou.'

xxx

Rukia never saw a side to Renji's personality in the century she knew him.

Since Ichigo gave her...bedroom wear...

Renji has since been very touchy-feely that every day became Honeymoon Nights quite literally that she easily conceived a child she named Ichika, after Ichigo who was her first female friend with a kanji for flower after that.

'Ichika after Ichigo eh? Kinda obvious by the kanji alone.' Renji mused as Rukia breastfed their daughter.

'Well, she showed me what it meant to live as a person, not just as dutiful duty-bound shinigami that I lived for the first time since my adoption.' said Rukia. 'She taught me how to act my biological age and I still appear '15' to humans you know. Goodness knows we age slow.' she snorted. 'She taught me how to live as a girl that nobody cared to tell me about. All I know about being a girl is we have to wear different clothes and have different body parts from men.' Renji sweatdropped. Then again, she lived with boys for ages. 'Sooo yeah, I named our girl after her.'

'Sou ka, Ichigo would be happy to know that.' said Renji. 'By the way, when will you show her to aniki?'

'When I'm done breastfeeding.'

xxx

Kuchiki Byakuya never had children as his sickly late wife lived her remaining years looking for the sister she left behind for survival.

Then years later, her little sister gave birth to Abarai Ichika, his niece. He wasn't sure what to feel about that actually and when his sister showed him his niece, he never thought he'd hold a baby in his entire life.

He fainted.

'Nii-sama?!'

'Aniki?!' the married couple yelped in disbelief when Byakuya fainted.

'...maybe its way too much for his head.' Kuchiki Ginrei shook his head. 'Honestly now...well, let me hold my grandchild Rukia. I'll show this foolish boy how its done.'

'H-hai, ojiisama.' Rukia carefully gave him her son. 'Is it that hard to imagine he'll hold a baby?'

'Most likely.' Ginrei sighed, tut-tutting. 'Honestly...perhaps I should set a marriage between him and Kurosaki-san to set him straight. 81 years is a short time before she comes here for good, no?'

'Er, does he even have the hots for her though?' Renji wondered aloud. 'And knowing Ichigo she won't take well to being a noble.'

'Yep, we know her too well.' Rukia deadpanned. 'We better start a betting pool.'

Whap-pak!

'Owww!' Rukia and Renji winced, nursing a bump on their heads and Ginrei's fist raised.

'Gambling is illegal children! Set a good example to Ichika here!'

xxx

For Kuro-no, SHIBA Karin...

Right after high school, she and her family moved in permanently to Seireitei.

Living in a big fancy traditional house...but moved in with playstation games and all sorts of fun things from the living world as training to become a house head after Kuukaku, her distant cousin she and her sisters never knew was STRESSFUL no wonder the woman started smoking a lot!

She has pressure being the sister of War Hero Shiba Ichigo.

So she trained hard and made sure she's the top of her class. It helps that her father started training her in middle school...and her sister sending her very fancy clothes that she was the envy of her female peers.

Well, if you're being sent clothing ten times tougher than Kevlar, you'd be jealous too as it was hard to cut her with a zanpakuto when the clothes became reishi material but retaining its qualities, and its strength increases depending on her making it even tougher it'd take a captain to truly cut her down in just underwear alone.

She sure misses pants and shorts though.

Yuzu was taking things in stride, becoming the Homemaker after Ichigo's stuck in Italy for decades. She being the weakest of the family, still has time to grow before its her turn to enter the Academy.

Karin sighed.

At least she has the CHOICE to choose a guy she'd marry one day. Ol' goat chin sure put his foot down when she and Ichigo got several marriage offers.

* * *

A:N- Ages to help readers out in the future

Ichigo-18, Aria's a few months old.

Ichigo-30 will begin the benchmark for ages of prominent characters as children.

Aria- 11

OC- 10

OC- 9

OC- 8

OC- 7, Xanxus di Vongola was born October 10, a newborn

OC- 6

Dino Cavallone was born February 4 months after the last Giglio Nero sister was born. Xanxus is currently two years old.

Byakuran Gesso was born March 14. Dino is currently 7 years old and Xanxus 9

Sawada Tsunayoshi is born two years after Byakuran. Ichigo is currently 45 years old when he was born

After Tsuna was born:

Gokudera: months before Tsuna

Yamamoto: 1

Ryohei: 1

Byakuran, Mukuro: 2

Hibari: 3

Dino: 9

Xanxus: 11

Aria: 15


	8. The future II

The future II

The Cavallone Family...

Reborn was hired to train the heir, soon-to-be Cavallone Decimo by his father the Nono.

He was to groom him as a boss who can save their family from falling apart, since the man's father gambled so much money away the son worked hard to earn it all back that stress made him very ill at just in his thirties and Dino wanted nothing to do with the mafia yet his flames was so strong since his birth!

So Reborn looked at Dino who was so clumsy he tripped on even flat surfaces yet his flames...

He twitched.

Ichigo had a hand in this.

Shaking his head in amusement, he went to traumatize this no-good wimp into becoming a boss, all the while juggling Mafia School.

For Dino, Mafia School was hell in itself as he learned Flames early on to really hold back his immense strength and Sky Attraction. While he's good with his powers, he's physically useless.

Dino originally has no hope for the family after what his grandfather has done and his father had to deal with to keep the family afloat, but for Reborn, a contract is a contract and he never fails his jobs. Ever.

xxx

For Timoteo di Vongola...

Since adopting Xanxus from that crazy woman for his own good, and better the Vongola than some nasty family, Xanxus was ridiculously powerful he never met a Sky like this, other than the Sky Arcobaleno Ichigo when he purchased suits off of her for himself and his Guardians after their Inheritance Ceremony and the eternal teenager was younger than them all by ten years. She was 22, he was 32 and still deciding who to marry.

He once asked her hand in marriage for his descendant's sakes, but she turned him down due to laws of neutrality and impartiality as her job while her Guardians has the freedom to affiliate with anybody while she remains a Freelancer.

'A Sky must always be impartial and fair, Don Vongola.' said Ichigo. 'And especially good judges. Find a bride who gets everybody's approval. When I mean everybody, I mean them.' she pointed at his ring. 'They'll never lead you wrong.'

Then he found Xanxus, a young boy with extremely powerful Flames of Wrath nine years after his marriage. Too powerful beyond his toddler age so he took him in on the guise he really is his father even if one day he wants to inherit Vongola when he really could not.

When he's 16, he sure had great trouble during the Cradle Affair.

Then there's little Tsunayoshi, his nephew's son who was the greatest Sky born in the family and Iemitsu wanted him sealed for safety reasons, but Timoteo was too weak even if they teamed up to seal him, they could not!

When they asked Ichigo?

They got beaten black and blue after a speedy rain of blows they can't even see.

'YOU FUCKTARDS!' she screeched. 'SEAL A SKY?! HAVE YOU NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENS TO SEALED SKIES, DIPSHITS?!' and she kicked them across the office and through the walls, and let out a furious tirade on why they shouldn't, beat them up some more, before leaving angrily.

'Er, is Tim still alive?' Brow Nie Jr asked nervously.

'Well, I left him alive after a beating of course.' Ichigo huffed. 'Where the fuck did they come up with that fucking idea?! Sealing flames doesn't work like anime in Japan dagnabit! If they dare to try this again, I'll castrate them and shove it up their ass they'll shit it back out!'

Needless to say, nobody spoke of the idea ever again.

xxx

Japan...

Ichigo was the leader...or rather, leader-interim of a Yakuza Clan until the son she's tutoring is fit enough for the job.

When an oyabun took her home wanting her to be his mistress...and when she learned he was married three years, she trounced him because she is NOT Ms. Homewrecker, and beat the fear of women into him, and his allied bosses, and everyone in the organization. She took over through sheer violence and death threats, and helped the missus raise the heir to be a better man than his father while making him a strong and capable fighter while re-shaping the organization to be a respectable one, and home-tutored because his life is in danger outside home. She quit being his teacher at age 21 when he's strong and skilled enough to gain respect.

Other than that, she awakened little Chrome Dokuro when she was three years old thus her latent potential maxed out, and will show when Mukuro makes her active at age 13 years later. Well, Viper would be surprised...as she became her Home Tutor. She taught Chrome skills she would need in the future while maintaining her sweet, pure-spotless personality that tamed the flame of hatred that was Mukuro, as she was hope that not all humans are bad that he often watches over her. It does not change the fact that Mukuro is more powerful than her if he too, is maxed-out.

She could have saved him from his miserable childhood, but it was an evil necessity as much as she hated it, because Mukuro is the most cunning and intelligent of the Tenth Generation and would be Tsuna's strongest asset in terms of predicting how mafioso will work which will save their ass more times than they could count, shaped by his days in the Estraneo and his revenge trip while Hibari is his strongest guardian. The most she could do, was send files to the Vindice to help their case.

She lied to her family servants that she was the hired tutor by her (bitchy)actress of a mother and she made sure to stay out of sight to her new stepfather on the rare times he's at home from work. Actually, her mother hired 'Ousaki Tomoko', but she intercepted the call and pretended to be her. She's even paid 350000 yen every month for her services.

She was only taught Japanese, English, Mathematics, Computers, Science and Social Studies, as well as knowing how to cook and bake better than anyone. Her P.E was literally preparing her for the future. She was very physically capable, at the peak of physical condition afforded to a well-trained pre-teen kid. Capable of parkour, acrobatics, proper way to run fast and jump without hurting her legs(and how to run like a normal girl to blend in), and knowing how to defend herself as an _assassin trainee_ by exploiting improvised weapons, particularly sticks and she has great throwing skills. As for her knowledge in other subjects? Because Chrome was home-tutored, advancing at her own pace, she's way ahead of her peers. High School Level and a budding hacker capable of getting through Firewalls she's capable of, and leave without a trace. She's not skilled enough for higher-level programs yet.

She gifted Chrome silk clothing, and taught her how to fold them properly as they are so fine that they'd fit into her old preschool bag without a wrinkle. The ones made of fur however, needed a bigger bag.

Chrome was then made to take the Entrance Exams to go to Junior High School by her mother, leaving her sheltered upbringing for the first time in her life.

In Junior High School, she stood out.

Her cute, sweet, shy appearance and personality appealed to the class.

So did her genius in subjects...and P.E.

To her classmates, she was a perfect existence that gradually caused jealousy to bloom and fester, while Chrome was surrounded with boys.

When out to explore the streets in her cute yukata one summer since she was invited to a temple festival by some kids.

Her teacher taught her about festivals.

Now that she's old enough to go out and have fun, she can do what she wants. Her parents don't care much anyway beyond leaving her money every week. About 30000 to do as she pleases with but sometimes she wonders.

What's it like to have a kind, caring mother? A kind protective father?

What are those?

Her mother cared more for being a celebrity.

Her stepfather cared more about his job in the company and his job associates. She could count on her digits how many times she's seen them home.

Tomoko-sensei gave her many manga to read when she left her this year at March. She read them on her spare time and saw what a family is supposed to be like.

If manga characters has it real good, why can't she?

She longed for, and dreamed of a family.

But her feelings in this world, instead of being in the ICU clinging to life, that made Mukuro notice her, combined with her strength.

xxx

Namimori...

Reborn called her there.

'You called, Reborn?' Ichigo asked, meeting her at a park.

'Ichigo, where were you all these years since our meeting at Mafia Land?' Reborn asked her.

'In Tokyo. I once reshaped a Yakuza Clan, then tutored a kid who would play a big role someday.' said Ichigo, eating ice cream. 'I no longer answer those stupid challenges, only answering those who's willing to pay big cash for my stuff and check on everybody, but Viper asked me for a favor last year but that's my only few returns to Italy.'

'I see...then you didn't know about Rokudo Mukuro?'

'I know of him.'

'Wha-...then, when you empowered him...' Reborn looked at her seriously. She foresaw this, and empowered him? Why?

'The kid was asleep when I empowered him. So he was none-the-wiser.'

'Then Tsuna...why these kids but not their associates?'

'Its not yet time for them.' said Ichigo. 'But Tsuna, Mukuro, and this kid I stayed with, will play a big role in the near future that they have to get used to their strength real fast.' she said. 'All I empowered, have big roles to play and need that power to put up with it. And you need to train them real hard to survive three giant hurdles. The sooner the better.'

'...you clearly won't say what you saw...but fine, I'll train the kids.' said Reborn. 'But you just empowered a criminal.' he said seriously.

'He will find redemption in the near future and a ticket out of Vendicare...of course, he'll do all means NOT to get back in, so he'll behave and subtly help Tsuna while being Tsundere about it when he earned his out as he knows he only has one and only one shot.' Reborn tried hard not to gawk, because he cannot believe his ears for a damn good reason. Nobody is EVER released from Vendicare alive. Ever, yet _Mukuro_ **earned** an _**out**_?! 'He'll never have a second chance considering its _them_ we're talking about. Don't tell anyone.'

'Aa...so where will you stay this time?'

'I'll go home to Karakura for now. Dad left me our house I gotta look after it from time to time.' said Ichigo. 'Call me if you need me.'

'...wakatta.' and Ichigo vanished by shunpo. '...I got to really know how she does that.' Reborn grumbled. Her ability is something he really could use, but its how she flees unseen to protect her identity. She always wears a mask, only taking it off when around her guardians.

xxx

Its been years.

Ichigo cleaned the house and stays in her bedroom at night, but mostly hangs out at Urahara's place since she was more at home with the supernatural than with normal folk. That, and she trains and re-trains, and confides in Urahara what she had to moan about.

And she felt old despite looking 17 for years.

Old in a sense of 'weariness' due to life in general, not by her age.

'Well, you get that feeling when you lived up to a century and more.' said Urahara. 'Long-lived beings like us see life and years pass by and the longer we live and see, the more weary we get. We just get used to it. If you're this tired now, what more when you die and become a real native for real?'

'...dunno?'

xxx

By autumn...

Before Reborn can even speed-dial her, she was behind him instantly. 'You rang~?'

He snorted.

'Yes.' seconds away to ringing her. Then again, she CAN see the future... 'I want you to tutor Lambo.' he said. 'I was going to ask Verde but given his personality...'

'He only moves according to what interests him and if I call him.' said Ichigo. 'I think you should settle for me because he won't be willing to train...a brat.' Ichigo snarked as Lambo is blissfully unaware of the situation they're in. 'You do realize that he's up against a sycophant, but a Varia Assassin Sycophant? Goodness knows Xanxus gets the weird ones...but he wouldn't have it any other way as long as they're 'quality'.'

'Got that in one.' said Reborn. 'The moron who chose him was banking on the 10-year Bazooka but the question is, will it be used wisely?'

'There's that and the kid right now...uggh.' Ichigo grimaced. 'Looks like I'll have to beat up baka-mitsu again.'

'Huh?'

'When Tsunayoshi was born with great power thanks to me, Iemitsu asked Timoteo to seal his son to hide him. So they went to Japan and felt the kid's immense powers...and hired me to seal him buuut things don't work like they do in anime and sealing a Sky is a big no-no...so I beat them black and blue for even suggesting I play along with criminal stupidity.' Ichigo growled darkly in utter distaste as Reborn's eyebrows rose way high from the revelation. 'Now he put a five year old against a _killer_? Is the famed bloodline so thin its no different from washi paper that it turned the remaining adult Vongolas so damn stupid?'

'Well, with Tsuna being empowered, the next generation is at least, secure since when you empowered his flames, his bloodline trait came along with it he's nearly psychic.' Reborn drawled. 'Since Iemitsu's still around, wanna beat the tar out of him again?'

'Do I ever.'

The feral, bloodthirsty grin on Ichigo's face spoke volumes.

Reborn does NOT pity the blonde at all.

xxx

Lambo was scared.

No, terrified, all three Lambos of 5, 15 and 25 as Ichigo 'disciplined' them in her own way to do things right, lest they cease to exist if 5 year old dies, and taug.

He is not yet deserving of her empowerment just yet, for he lacked the discipline and mentality.

'Lambo-sama'. Really...?

Ichigo instilled the fear of tutor into all three thus.

xxx

On the 11th day...

Viper was about to call a certain someone, when said someone appeared behind him and glomped him!

'You rang~?' Ichigo chirped, startling the whole Varia with her sudden appearance.

'MUGYAA!' Viper, now Mammon squawked as he got tackled to the ground by his cuddle-happy Sky. 'Ichigo! Quit doing this _every time I make a phone call_!' he cried in exasperation. Granted, she's the youngest of them all but still...!

'Where's the fun in that?!' Ichigo giggled, nuzzling his face with her own cheeks.

'And kindly don't do that! I'm an adult and you're waaaay younger!'

'Don't make it sound like an old man! You were only 27 when you got that stupid trinket!'

'I'm still ten years older than you!' came the embarrassed retort. 'Geroff!'

'Er, who's this?' Lussuria asked as they've never seen her before when Squalo screamed.

'VOOOI! How the hell do you know Sword Empress personally?!' Squalo cried incredulously. 'Its very rare to reach her!' he whined.

'I have her phone number obviously.' Mammon stated sarcastically. 'Ichigo, you know what I called you here for, right?'

'Of course! But who's gonna pay?' Ichigo piped up, finally letting him go, and people got to see a certain item that showed what she was. An Arcobaleno.

'Straight off the Varia's coffers. And the boss wants a copy of what he's wearing in vicuna. Not the dress shirt though. That's in silk with the tie.'

'OK! Two guardians with him now, draw lots or something, everyone else out and boss-dude, strip to your boxers!' Ichigo instructed in a peppy manner. 'I need accurate size so everything but boxers off! But please tug them up so I can measure the crotch properly.' she said as her vicuna turned into a measuring tape that she held by hand while her spider became a box with a nice hole which was obviously a lottery box.

The balls inside are a white YES written in black, and a red NO on others.

Belphegor and Lussuria got the YES, everyone else got the NO.

After a few minutes, the Llama turned into what looks like a printer, only instead of printed paper, actual clothing came out. Then the spider wove the dress shirt and tie in rapid speed. Products finished.

'Viper knows the price boss-dude, he'll forward it to my account as usual.' Ichigo explained as she handed the clothing to Lussuria.

'Sword Empress huh?' Xanxus mused gruffly. 'And you're what, 17?'

'I'm older than I look, kid.' said Ichigo wryly, arms crossed. 'I paid big to stop aging even though my expiration as the Sky Arcobaleno is inevitable.' Xanxus, Lussuria and Bel stared at her. 'But being a frail old biddy is out of the question in my post. I was seventeen when I got suckered into this necklace.' she snorted as she got up. 'Well, gotta go. I don't want to miss a discount in Otome Road tonight!' and she was gone the way she came, by disappearing.

'You guys can come in now!' Lussuria called out as the other guardians went in.

'Mammon, you're gonna schedule me a match with her!' Squalo demanded.

'You'll have to pay me for it as Ichigo gets bored with everyone lately.' Mammon drawled. 'She ignores challenges as of ten years ago you'll have to prove yourself to her.'

'VOOI?!'

xxx

Reborn narrowed his eyes when he got mail from Ichigo.

Varia hired her to make a suit for Xanxus.

Yikes.

He would have to do more for Tsuna then. Bullying Vongola into paying for a suit should be good.


End file.
